Developer’s plans delayed due to mesothelioma-causing asbestos

In Fall River, Massachusetts, a local developer named Anthony Cordeiro is planning to revitalize an area of the city that he says is located in “the core section of the new downtown.” Cordeiro owns a total of 11 buildings that are placed closely together along Pleasant and Bedford streets.
One plan for this area of the city involves his recent purchase of a former fabrication warehouse, which Cordeiro plans to turn into a section of 30 covered parking spaces.

The 9,000 square foot former warehouse was purchased in June for just over $300,000. Now, the site is being prepped for its transformation into a one level parking garage. But Cordeiro had originally hoped to build a larger 50 car garage on the site of the former police station.“I expected to have three floors of parking with two floors above for offices,” he said. “That would have been a nice complement and additional parking.”

However, Cordeiro estimated it would have cost at least half a million dollars to remove the asbestos and tear down the building on the 16,000-square-foot police station property. The cost of asbestos removal is often very high due to the time it takes to remove asbestos in accordance with both state and local regulations. Asbestos exposure is conclusively linked to the development of mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer.

Mesothelioma affects less than 3,000 Americans each year, and while there are treatment methods available, including chemo, there is no known cure. Mesothelioma lies dormant for up to fifty years before an individual begins to suffer from mesothelioma symptoms, and the majority of patients lose their battle with this cancer in less than two years following diagnosis.

Cordeiro says his project will be completed within a few months. “It will take 30 cars off the streets,” Cordeiro told reporters. “By mid-May it should be ready to go.”