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A major construction project to revive downtown Rochester includes a $55 million grant from the state of New York for asbestos removal and air monitoring.

Asbestos can cause cancer in humans when the microscopic mineral fibers are inhaled and lodge in the lungs. Asbestos is linked to mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lung or abdomen, and other serious respiratory diseases. Therefore, precautions must be taken when tearing down old buildings constructed with asbestos-containing building materials to prevent workers from being exposed to asbestos fibers.

According to a press release from the City of Rochester, Empire State Development awarded contracts for asbestos removal at the Midtown Plaza site to Cambria Contracting, Inc., a demolition and environmental remediation company headquartered in Lockport, New York. The $34.1 million asbestos abatement contract includes removing and disposing of all asbestos-containing materials and hazardous wastes to ready the Midtown Plaza buildings for demolition.

Paradigm Environmental Services., Inc., based in Rochester, received a $1.69 million contract to provide independent oversight of the asbestos removal and air monitoring during decontamination and demolition of the buildings. The asbestos removal project will start this summer and last about 14 months.

The city of Rochester is demolishing the 1.4 million-square-foot former Midtown Plaza indoor mall which has been largely vacant in recent years to clear a site for a new corporate headquarters for PAETEC, one of the fastest growing telecommunications companies in the United States. Extensive asbestos contamination is present throughout the Midtown Plaza complex so all asbestos must be removed before the complex can be torn down to prevent it from becoming airborne. A study by the city of Rochester estimated the cost to remove the asbestos was more than $40 million.