Somerset Place, at Sheridan and Argyle, is being retrofitted to
the purpose for which it was built: rental residences. But that doesn't mean the process is a smooth one.
Medill Reports ran a feature last week about why construction has been halted:
The transformation of a former troubled nursing home into an apartment complex that some community leaders are hoping will revitalize this stretch of North Side has stalled due to alleged asbestos contamination.
Until last week, construction workers and the sound of jackhammers on the corner of Argyle Street and North Sheridan Road foretold a renovated apartment building ringed with commercial spaces. The towering brick edifice with a swooping façade was meant to be a “linchpin for the revitalization of Sheridan Road,” said Joseph Trendl, president of the Carmen-Winona Block Club.
But earlier this month, a City of Chicago inspector documented workers removing asbestos without proper attire and wearing only paper respirators. Last week, Attorney General Lisa Madigan filed a complaint against the building’s owners and announced that construction would halt.
The entire article is here.
Encountering asbestos, lead paint, and other hazardous materials during the renovation of a 1920's building is not unusual. The renovation contract should have had procedures for how to deal with it properly if/when it was discovered.
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