An FDNY member speaks to a member of the public near a construction site at the former Pfizer headquarters building in New York City on July 7, 2026. (Michael M. Santiago / Getty Images)
By Michael Austin July 27, 2026 at 11:31am
The New York City headquarters for the Episcopal Church was forced to evacuate on July 7 after multiple floors started sagging in a nearby tower.
The 37-story building on East 42nd Street between 2nd Avenue and 3rd Avenue in Manhattan — an active construction site that was once home to the headquarters for Pfizer — also witnessed two structural columns buckle.
The Fire Department of New York said in a statement that they received reports of the “structural issue” around 8 a.m. on July 7.
“FDNY units, as well as representatives from the Department of Buildings and NYC Emergency Management, responded and found structural issues on the 21st floor,” the statement said.
“Two structural columns buckled, and there were multiple cracks and sagging floors.”
FDNY Chief John Esposito said that “it’s a very serious situation because the box beams — the steel beams — have started to bend and deflect from the weight.”
“We evacuated the building and started evacuations of surrounding buildings. The building has continued to move since we have been on the scene,” he added.
The high rise is being converted from a commercial office building to a residential building.
The FDNY used drones to obtain technical information and visuals.
About 150 fire and emergency medical personnel responded to the report.
Images shared by the FDNY indeed showed structural beams bending at severe angles, as well as the building appearing to lean.
As for the Episcopal Church facility, a report from Episcopal News Service noted that the staff were evacuated.
“Our building staff learned of the nearby incident around 8:30 a.m. and instructed all building staff and tenants to shelter in place,” a church representative said in a statement.
“Shortly after, our staff followed FDNY orders to evacuate the building out of an abundance of caution.”
Less than half of the 146,000 square feet of the 12-story building was being used by church staff.
The other space remains vacant or is rented by other organizations.
The Episcopal Church is currently marketing the headquarters for sale or redevelopment — a decision that comes as the church, which is known for theological and political progressivism, hemorrhages members and congregations across the country.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
Michael wrote for several entertainment news outlets before joining The Western Journal in 2020. He now serves as Managing Editor, which involves managing the editorial team and operations, guiding the publication’s editorial direction, and writing, editing, curating and assigning stories as needed.
Birthplace
Ames, Iowa
Nationality
American
Education
Iowa State University
Topics of Expertise
Cultural Politics, Pop Culture, Christian-Conservatism
