The structural problem that put a Midtown Manhattan high-rise tower at risk of a partial collapse on Tuesday likely stemmed from the weight of an addition at the top of the building, according to the project’s developer.
The building was undergoing the largest ever office to residential conversion in the country. The developer said the increased weight from the widening of about 15 top floors— starting on the 22nd floor—caused the structural damage.
Two supporting columns on the building’s 21st floor buckled and steel beams began to bend. That sent construction workers into the streets and emptied much of an entire city block on Tuesday.
“This additional load that we put on those floors caused those two particular columns to collapse,” said Nathan Berman, managing principal and founder of MetroLoft, in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. “Why those particular two columns and nothing else? We don’t know…we’re investigating that.”