New development in Long Island City is so hot that the likes of megadeveloper Tishman Speyer want in on the game—even if it means building on, er, a toxic building site. Per the Queens Chronicle, the developer plans a high-rise residential development at 28-10 Jackson Avenue, a property once owned by one West Chemical Company:
The site had been used to store chemicals needed to make products like floor waxes and industrial cleaners. According to documents filed with the state Department of Environmental Conservation, periodic spills of an ingredient in cleaning products called creosote—exposure to which may result in rashes, kidney and liver problems, and even cancer—had been reported, with one larger spill occurring in 1950. Fuel oils also contaminate parts of the property.Tishman plans to excavate the site at least 16 feet deep, "deeper in areas where there is greater contamination." Should be a fun one to watch—from a suitable distance.
· Queens Site to be Developed After Cleanup [Queens Chronicle]