GRAVESEND – FOLLOWING THE DISCOVERY of asbestos at the site of a controversial planned homeless shelter on 86th Street in Gravesend, local Assemblymember William Colton is calling for the city to revoke the developer’s demolition permit.
In April of last year, the site was certified asbestos-free, but nearby residents observed asbestos during demolition this spring, after workers began removing the roof, Colton said. Area Councilmember Susan Zhuang reported it, and the city’s Department of Environmental Protection issued a Stop Work Order. A notice of asbestos abatement was placed on the construction fence late last week, with an estimated completion date of April 29, 2027.
It was later discovered that the previous inspector has a record of fraud accusations and possibly a suspended license. Protesters on site at the stated time of inspection said no one had entered. Colton accused developer Sandhu Builders of a “long history of cutting corners to the community’s detriment,” and suggested that the project had been rushed through the inspection process over community concerns.
Colton said he would be sending a letter to the city’s Department of Buildings and Mayor Zohran Mamdani requesting that the demolition permit be revoked.
“The first order of business now is to make sure that the neighborhood is protected,” Colton wrote in a press release. “Let’s make certain there are no additional breaches of the community’s health and safety by halting all other work at the site till the asbestos abatement is complete.”
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