Bleachery Building Stabilization Project
CHA’s environmental team removed hazardous materials as part of the structural stabilization of the historically significant Cluett Peabody & Company's Bleachery Building. The building had fallen into disrepair with hazardous materials contamination throughout and large sections of the roof and upper floors collapsed.
CHA first performed a building-wide Pre-Demolition Hazardous Materials Survey, which included the identification of asbestos-containing materials (ACM), lead-based paints (LBP), and Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) within the Bleachery Building. Upon inspection, CHA found the building was fully contaminated with asbestos thermal system insulation debris as a result of a partial roof collapse. We also confirmed the presence of lead-based paint, structural beams and columns throughout the building, in addition to PCB-containing sediment and residue settled at the bottom of concrete vats.
Following the survey, we designed an abatement project to remove all interior asbestos-containing and contaminated materials, lead-based paint-coated wood and masonry, and PCB-laden sediment and residue. The abatement design included the removal of walls, floors, structural components, and large equipment under asbestos abatement controls while two adjacent buildings to the north and south of the Bleachery remained occupied. Design deliverables included abatement drawings, specification sections, and a petition for site-specific variance to the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL).
CHA attended weekly on-site meetings during the project’s construction, interfaced with the contractor and client, and submitted numerous site-specific variance re-openings to NYSDOL as the abatement progressed. The Bleachery Building was stabilized in 2014, and CHA is currently involved in a project to enable the New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation to occupy the building.
Project Services:
- Health and Safety Plan Development
- Pre-Demolition Hazardous Materials Survey
- Sample Collection
- Hazardous Materials Abatement Design
- Site Specific Variance Petition Preparation
- Construction Phase Services