Any information or special reports about various countries may be published with photos/videos on the world blog with bold legit source. All languages are welcome. Mail to lucschrijvers@hotmail.com.
Construction workers look at an officer tower at 235 E. 42nd St. that was evacuated for fear of a collapse, July 7, 2026. (Ben Fractenberg/The City Reporter)
The high-rise on East 42nd Street and Second Avenue sparked a major emergency response after someone reported bricks falling from the site, which previously housed Pfizer’s headquarters and is being converted into a residential building.
Officials said no one was injured in the incident, but Fire Department Chief John Esposito said steel beams “had started to bend” when first responders arrived to inspect the project. Authorities ordered surrounding buildings to be evacuated and closed nearby streets to traffic as they investigated.
City records show the Department of Buildings has responded to numerous reports at the tower since May 2025, including debris falling onto the sidewalk below and at least two worker injuries. The general contractor has received seven violations and more than $32,000 in penalties since last July, mostly for construction safety problems and failure to maintain a safe site.
Buildings officials said they had done “multiple” inspections at the site before Tuesday and had not issued any more construction safety violations since the end of 2025. Here’s what we know about conditions at the tower and what authorities are doing to stabilize it.
Weather 🌤️
A high around 79 and mostly sunny during the day, a low near 69 and partly cloudy at night.
MTA 🚇
Midday in Brooklyn, Manhattan-bound D trains skip 20th Avenue, 18th Avenue, 79th Street and 71st Street. Find all the MTA’s planned changes and the latest delays here.
Alternate side parking 🚙
It’s in effect today, July 8.
By the way…
In non-World Cup soccer news, Gotham FC, the local National Women’s Soccer League team that currently plays home games in New Jersey, will move to the Etihad Park stadium in Queens.
The slowest buses in the country will hit the accelerator, with officials committing Tuesday to boosting speeds by 20% along 50 of the city’s pokiest, most congested bus corridors.
The “Next Stop: Fast Buses, Better Service” action plan unveiled by city, state and MTA officials is designed to save riders up to six minutes per trip through measures that include expanding dedicated bus lanes, giving buses signal priority along 35 routes per year and fully implementing all-door boarding by next year.
“It represents a unique spirit of collaboration, a new era of government, in which Albany and City Hall do not hesitate to work together to improve working peoples’ lives,” said Julia Kerson, deputy mayor for operations.
The mayor’s commitment to speeding service notably lacked mention of one of his signature campaign promises: making buses free, which would also require Albany’s cooperation.
The plan is centered on speeding buses that currently average 8 mph and building “world-class rapid bus routes” for 100,000 riders who live more than a half-mile from subway or commuter rail stations. It also aims to improve bus stops with real-time passenger information, seating at every bus stop, trees and accessibility upgrades.
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