Around 8 a.m. on July 7, local time in the United States, the New York City Fire Department received reports of bricks falling near the former headquarters building of Pfizer. Mayor Mamdani stated during an update that an issue was identified with steel beams on the 21st floor of the 37-story structure. Fire officials also reported that two supporting columns had buckled. No injuries have been reported in the incident, and all construction workers have been evacuated from the building.

Authorities have now cordoned off the entire block. Evacuated workers from the area, including office employees from nearby businesses and hotel staff, are visible on surrounding streets.

The building is part of a commercial-to-residential conversion project being jointly developed by Metro Loft and David Werner Real Estate, originally slated for completion in 2027. Metro Loft stated in a release, "We want to confirm that the impact is limited to a small section of one of the two buildings on the site." The mayor indicated that assessments are underway to reinforce the affected floors, noting the structure remains unstable and advising New Yorkers to avoid the area.

The incident location is reported to be near the Grand Central Terminal, a major transportation hub, and is only a few blocks from the United Nations headquarters.

Concerns over structural integrity in New York City buildings have surfaced periodically in recent years. Last year, a building in the Bronx partially collapsed following a ventilation shaft explosion, with no casualties reported. In 2023, another residential building in the same borough also experienced a partial collapse. In May 2023, a parking structure in Lower Manhattan collapsed, resulting in one fatality and five injuries.