DOB Inspecting Construction Sites After Pfizer HQ Debacle

Building safety inspectors are on the march across five boroughs after a dangerous incident at an office conversion project in Midtown East cast a national spotlight on New York.

The Department of Buildings ordered inspectors to conduct safety reviews of construction sites across the city as part of a larger probe into what caused two structural columns to buckle at the former Pfizer Building on 42nd Street, Gothamist reported.

The scope of the sweeps isn’t clear.

“As part of our ongoing investigation into the structural failure at 235 East 42nd Street, DOB is performing construction safety enforcement sweeps at other work sites located in the city,” DOB spokesman Andrew Rudansky told the publication.

Rudansky declined to say whether inspectors were focusing on projects belonging to the building owner, MetroLoft, or handled by the structural engineer, GACE Consulting Engineers.

But two people familiar with the latest legion of inspectors said they would target projects involving the same companies that own or are contracted to work on the Pfizer Building office conversions, according to Gothamist.

Domani Inspection Services, responsible for overseeing elements of the 42nd Street project, has a record of violations at other recent construction sites, according to the New York Times.

The probe could put two dozen firms involved in the project, slated to be one of the largest conversions of offices to apartments, in the city’s crosshairs.

The investigation includes “a massive review of construction documents and reports held by the developer and construction team; interviews with witnesses and responsible parties; a hands-on sweep of the entire construction site; and review of available video and photo evidence,” officials with the Buildings Department said.

The Department of Buildings hasn’t disclosed what caused the pair of columns on the 21st floor of the glass tower to bend, leading to sagging floors.

The structural failure occurred beneath a major addition that expanded the building by 10 floors. The conversion will result in 1,600 apartments across 37 stories, slated to be completed next year.

City officials have deemed the building structurally sound after adding temporary supports between the ninth story and the rooftop. A partial vacate order is still in effect, according to Gothamist.

A third-party engineering firm, Thornton Tomasetti, is overseeing the recovery work and will conduct an investigation into what led to the incident, according to the Buildings Department.

New York City investigators opened a preliminary criminal inquiry into the incident. The scope and target of that investigation aren’t clear.

– Dana Bartholomew