Asbestos-laden structure in Massachusetts to be demolished Waltham, Massachusetts - In Waltham, Massachusetts the city council has approved the demolition of the former Gaebler Children's Center, a project that will cost just under $550,000 to complete. The building, known to contain asbestos, is considered by some to be a useless property.
Asbestos, a known carcinogen, was used in decades past for fireproofing and insulation purposes. Still, other officials are sad to see the building go.
"It disturbs me greatly," explained Councilor Ed Tarallo. "It was not going to be torn down. We were going to reuse this building. We were going to use this for a community center or something else and here we are again talking about tearing down this building."
The Gaebler Center dates back to the early 1950s and many had hoped that it could be repurposed for use as a community center. However, the amount of asbestos present at the center made that proposal infeasible. Asbestos exposure is conclusively linked to the development of mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer. The disease typically lies dormant for up to fifty years before an individual begins to suffer from mesothelioma symptoms. Unfortunately, the majority of patients lose their battle with this cancer in less than two years.
"This is a limb that has now gone to gaseous gangrene and it needs to be settled," said Debt Committee chairman Thomas Curtin. "It's going to cost us more every day this goes by."
The center is now an epicenter of vandalism and other illicit activity, forcing Councilor Diane LeBlance to say, "Despite the less than perfect circumstances that bring us to this vote, the building needs to come down."
