A project to renovate the former Gary State Bank was suspended when asbestos was discovered at a demolition site adjacent to the century-old building. The work, which is funded by $2.8 million in city-issued revenue bonds, is being done in order to add a drive-up window to the 10-story building.
Although project developer Vance Kenney, of Gateway Partners LLC, has said that the demolition contractor from D&R Construction stopped work upon finding the toxic material among other debris, city activist Jim Nowacki claimed that a call he placed to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) prompted the state to halt the project.
“They started knocking it down on the sidewalk,” Nowacki said, referring to the demolition crew and its treatment of the asbestos. “I made a complaint and the state sent IDEM inspectors out. The inspectors said you can’t do anything until you remove the transite asbestos.”
Dan Goldblatt, spokesperson for IDEM, said that D&R Construction – a licensed contractor – had been approved to demolish the asbestos-containing building, but that inspectors observed the work crew unsafely handling the hazardous substance. “We are concerned,” Goldblatt said on behalf of IDEM. “[Improper disposal] can lead to transite asbestos in the air.”
A different company, Industrial Insulation Services Inc., had been hired to remove asbestos from the building prior to the commencement of the demolition. Despite Nowacki’s call to IDEM, Kenney stood by his assertion that the demolition contractor halted work immediately after discovering the asbestos. “As he got to the front of the building, he noticed there was some material that fell off the façade of the building that appeared to be asbestos,” Kenney said.
Kenney also understood Nowacki’s concern. “[He] has taken a special interest in coming by, almost every day. Because of the high-profile nature of the project, I understand it goes under the microscope.” Still, Kenney is confident that the project has been handled responsibly. “We’ve taken every precaution to have a consultant who knows the process and a contractor who knows what needs to be done,” he said.
Asbestos exposure can be detrimental to respiratory health and is the primary cause of mesothelioma, an aggressive type of cancer with an extremely high mortality rate. Due to its harmful nature, asbestos must be abated by licensed professionals.