Repairs begin on NYC building deemed unstable over the summer

Operations to repair a building on Manhattan's East Side that became unstable over the summer will begin Tuesday.

Crews will begin lifting the damaged floors of the former Pfizer headquarters on East 42nd Street to get it ready for permanent repairs. 

Issues began in July when firefighters responded to reports of falling bricks. But the bigger concern was inside, where two steel columns had buckled on the 21st floor, causing floors above to sag. 

There were numerous evacuations nearby, including a school, and several blocks of Midtown were shut down while crews worked to stabilize the building. At the time, developer Metro Loft was turning the old office building into apartments, with plans to add another 16 stories.

Three months later, crews are scheduled to begin lifting the damaged floors about six inches in a process called jacking.

Crews will use powerful hydraulic equipment to slowly raise part of the structure. They will lift the floors just one-sixty-fourth of an inch, which is about the thickness of a business card. 

The Department of Buildings said the repair plan went through extensive reviews by its senior engineers and an independent engineering firm.

The construction is not expected to impact anyone who lives or works in Midtown.