Demolition work on the 87-year-old Roosevelt Island steam plant in New York City has been temporarily halted after city inspectors found that asbestos abatement procedures violated the city’s own safety regulations and posed a threat to human safety. The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) issued a stop-work order on June 12, according to agency records.
Work cannot resume until the DEP approves a plan that addresses all disturbed asbestos-containing materials at the site. The city Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Department, which is managing the demolition, stated that the halt is part of a routine interagency process to identify and address hazards. The HPD confirmed that additional samples were taken and are undergoing laboratory testing for asbestos.
The steam plant, which ceased operations in 2014, has been slated for demolition due to its deteriorated masonry and concerns about potential toxins like lead paint, asbestos, mercury, and fuel oil. The site's designation for emergency demolition has allowed the city to bypass traditional environmental review procedures. This has drawn criticism from some Roosevelt Island residents and community advocates, who have called for greater transparency and public access to structural assessments and environmental studies.
Kalin Kresnitchki, co-founder of the Architectural Community Alliance of Roosevelt Island, expressed concern over the lack of public visibility of the stop-work order and questioned what other information about the project has not been disclosed. Residents and elected officials have been advocating for the release of a structural assessment to support the city's assertion that the facility is unsound.
The steam plant has also served as a filming location for several Marvel streaming series, including “Daredevil,” “The Punisher,” and “Luke Cage,” as well as ABC's “Gotham.”
While third-party asbestos air monitoring has been in place since abatement work began, and no airborne asbestos has been detected in those tests, advocates point out that these efforts only track asbestos and not other potential contaminants like lead or PCBs. Community air monitoring in the surrounding area is scheduled to begin only during the actual demolition phase, despite debris already being transported through the neighborhood. The HPD has stated that air monitoring within the structure is necessary to protect workers, and that they are committed to ensuring the safety of Roosevelt Island residents.
Plans for potential redevelopment of the defunct steam plant site are also reportedly being considered by state and city authorities.