City Inspectors Scrutinize Steel Firm Following Midtown Structural Failure

Following a partial structural failure at a Midtown high-rise earlier this month, the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) has initiated a widespread inspection blitz targeting projects associated with Barone Steel Fabricators. The Brooklyn-based firm, which handles both steel fabrication and installation, has been linked to at least eight sites currently under review by city officials.

The investigation stems from a July 7 incident at 235 East 42nd St., the site of a major office-to-housing conversion. During the event, structural columns on the 21st floor buckled, prompting emergency evacuations of surrounding blocks. While the building was later deemed structurally sound, the cause of the failure remains under investigation by the DOB, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, and the city’s Department of Investigation.

Chris Behan, a structural engineer with GACE Consulting Engineers, stated that required steel reinforcement plates were never installed on the 19th, 20th, and 21st floors of the Midtown project. However, neither Behan nor the DOB have publicly identified which party was responsible for the installation of those components.

As part of the enforcement effort, inspectors issued a stop-work order for all steel-related activities at a residential development site located at 332 West 11th St. in Greenwich Village. According to a statement from DOB spokesperson Andrew Rudansky, contractors at that location had installed steel sections that deviated from the architect’s approved plans.

Records indicate that Domani Inspection Services, a firm contracted to verify structural steel and welds at the 42nd Street site, also performed safety inspections at the Greenwich Village property and at least five other locations involving Barone Steel. Representatives for Domani Inspection Services have stated that the company performs extensive safety checks and can only inspect work that has already been completed.

Barone Steel Fabricators and its legal representatives have not responded to requests for comment regarding the ongoing inspections. The city’s current enforcement sweep represents a fourfold increase in weekly safety inspections compared to the average for the remainder of 2026. Other sites currently under review include properties at 25 Water St., 701 Seventh Ave., 415 East 52nd St., 17 John St., 16 Madison Ave., 76 Eleventh Ave., and 101 Franklin St.