Two years later , in 2009 , a Finding Of No Significant Impact by the Federal Transit Administration found that a proposed entrance at the northeast corner of Second Avenue and 72nd Street was unfeasible , as was the proposed single sidewalk elevator at the southeast corner . The northeast-corner entrance , within the 305 East 72nd Street apartment building , would have encroached into a portion of CVS Pharmacy 's ground-floor retail space as well as the apartment building 's basement , which contained its laundry room and several of its utility intake pipes . Building the northeast-corner entrance would have forced the owners of 305 East 72nd Street to move their laundry room and utilities into the retail space occupied by CVS , so plans for the northeast-corner entrance were canceled . The site for the sidewalk elevator on the southeast corner turned out to be located close to a high-pressure steam main that was in diameter . After a 2007 steam main explosion in Midtown , utility provider Consolidated Edison changed its guidelines for clearance around high-pressure mains , which meant that the elevator was now too close to the main . Thus , the plan was revised to place the elevator inside a building . Of the three alternatives presented for combining the two entrances , the MTA chose an alternative in which there would be five elevators inside a building at the southeast corner of Second Avenue and 72nd Street . This required the demolition of 300 East 72nd Street so that a new building for the five elevators could be built
2007 steam main explosion
2007 New York City steam explosion
72nd Street station (Second Avenue Subway)