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March 13, 2009 |
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ASBESTOS LITIGATION: N.Y. to Release Midtown Plaza Cleanup Funds Governor David A. Paterson, on March 9, 2009, announced that New York State would make funds available for asbestos abatement at Midtown Plaza in Rochester, N.Y., and added that the State will seek contractor bids for work to be financed by the State's US$55 million commitment, Media Newswire Reports. Governor Paterson said, "Ridding Midtown Plaza of asbestos is an essential step toward realizing the potential of Midtown Rising, a project that will help transform downtown Rochester. The commencement of the asbestos removal clears a major hurdle standing in the way of the City's renewal. "This area will be transformed into an urban mixed-use development and include the national headquarters for PAETEC Communications. I am committed to working with my partners in government and the private sector to see this project through and to see Rochester revitalized." With the release of the funds, Empire State Development (ESD), the State's chief economic development agency, will oversee contracts for one of the largest abatement jobs in the history of the region. Asbestos removal costs associated with the site have been the single most significant barrier to private investment and redevelopment of the city’s downtown core. The Midtown Plaza complex contains about 1.5 million square feet of building area, including four main buildings, a two-level retail shopping mall (organized around the public atrium space), a 1,820-space underground parking garage, and a series of "Skyway" pedestrian bridges connecting the complex to adjoining buildings. Midtown Plaza sits at the very center of downtown Rochester. Governor Paterson has been working closely with the City of Rochester on the Midtown project with the goal of revitalizing downtown. The site's deterioration over a number of years has affected all of the property in downtown. Without the State funding, the City will be left with 1.5 million square feet of abandoned retail and office space that cannot be redeveloped because of the asbestos contamination and other problems. The asbestos project will take about 10-12 months, and at its peak will create up to 200 jobs at working double shifts on the site for six months. Once the site is cleared, the State and City have committed to deliver a portion of the site to one of the region's fast growing companies, PAETEC Communications Inc., for the development of its new national headquarters building by 2012. |
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