Dust Bowl: West Siders Gripe About Former ABC HQ Demo

The planned demolition of ABC’s former headquarters is inching along, and seems set to be followed by the developer Extell erecting a gargantuan 1,200-foot-tall tower on the site, which takes up much of a block between West 66th Street and West 67th Street.

However, some local residents say that the demolition process has been perceptibly hazardous to their health, and have said so at recent community meetings. They’ve won support from local City Council Member Gale Brewer, who wrote to the Department of Environmental Protection about the matter on Sept. 19.

“I write on behalf of residents of West 67 and West 66 Streets between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue who are experiencing fumes, dust, noise, and a poor quality of life from the demolition of the ABC campus, which began recently,” the letter reads.

“I am requesting that the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) immediately send inspectors to the site to determine if all air, noise, and other laws are being followed. Residents point out that their eyes and throats are burning. They are correctly concerned about what they are breathing,” Brewer continued.

Brewer elaborated that some residents have seen workers “cutting sheds and pipes” on the roof of 155 Columbus Ave., “setting the insulation and other plastic materials on fire in the process.” She also expressed concern about construction trucks idling “illegally” near the worksite, creating a deafening environment and “emitting more toxins.”

The DEP got back to Brewer, a spokesperson for her office told The Spirit, with the following statement: “DEP’s Bureau of Environmental Compliance completed an inspection of the ABC News demolition site. The reported chemical smell from Friday was a result of an authorized burn on the rooftop which lasted one day. In addition to DEP personnel, an FDNY Fire Marshal was also present.”

The DEP added that Extell was in possession of the necessary demolition permits, and are taking “steps to mitigate dust emission, and are frequently watering down the site.” The agency promised Brewer that they would be on call “if additional issues arise.”

The Spirit walked around the site on Thursday, Sept. 25, and determined that there was indeed no lingering chemical smell. However, construction trucks—which appeared to have moved off the street, at least mostly—were still making plenty of noise, and the dust Brewer mentioned certainly seemed to be flying everywhere. It’s hard to say whether this was out of the scope of typical demolition proceedings, though.

In fact, what happens after the demolition may prove to be just as controversial, as The Spirit has previously reported. Although he hasn’t formally issued his plans to do so, Extell CEO Gary Barnett has previously told Community Board 7 that he intends to erect the aforementioned luxury tower post-demolition. Twenty percent of the building’s units, he said, would be set at “below-market-rate” prices, which has reportedly satisfied CB7.

NY1 memorably said that the proposed tower would be “nearly as tall” as the Empire State Building, which would easily make it the tallest structure in the neighborhood, eclipsing current 775-foot-tall record-holder, 50 W. 66th St.

Meanwhile, ABC has moved its HQ to Hudson Square. However, curious locals—who may or may not want to wear an N95 mask—can still see some weathered stonework engraved with “ABC” jutting from the complex’s façade, under a stretch of scaffolding on West 66th. It will certainly be ground to dust soon.