EPA Press Office:

EPA Begins to Demolish Manufacturing Facility at the Allen Street Development Site in Jamestown, New York

NEW YORK (November 27, 2023) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that it has started to demolish the former Crawford Furniture manufacturing facility at the Allen Street Development site in Jamestown, New York. The manufacturing facility was destroyed by a fire in November 2022. EPA will demolish what remains of the structures and remove asbestos-containing debris from the site.

"For over a year, the EPA has been working closely with the City of Jamestown to address the serious environmental and public health risks at 1061 Allen Street," said Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. "EPA will continue to take action to safely demolish and remove the asbestos-laden debris that remains on the site. Once the site is cleaned up and safe, EPA will support efforts by Jamestown to redevelop the site for the benefit of the community."

“The old Crawford Furniture Factory was once a beating heart for Jamestown’s economy, but for too long, this crumbling building sat as an eyesore, and as last year’s fire showed, its continued presence would only put our public health and environment at risk. That is why I personally came to Jamestown to push the EPA to demolish this dangerous site, and why I am proud to announce that cleanup begins today for Jamestown” said Senator Chuck Schumer, Majority Leader of the United States Senate. “This federal cleanup is a win-win-win: knocking down the crumbling walls which were devastated by the fire, removing toxic contaminants like asbestos from our community, all while taking the burden off our local taxpayers in Jamestown. The EPA has been a tremendous partner and I thank them for their dedicated work to knock down this deteriorating building so that it can be transformed into a place of new opportunity. It is critical to return these marred sites of the past into productive workplaces that will shape the economic future, and I will continue to fight to deliver the resources needed to breathe new life into Jamestown’s manufacturing legacy for the next generation.”

The Allen Street Development site was once a furniture manufacturing facility that went bankrupt in March 2012. Allen Street Development, LLC bought the property and used part of it to store airplane parts and other items for potential resale. The company also leased some of the space to other tenants over the years. However, the facility was not well maintained, and some areas had begun to collapse before the fire in 2022. EPA became involved with the site in June 2021 after receiving a request from the City of Jamestown to assess the deteriorating facility for the presence of hazardous substances.

During the demolition activities, expected to begin this week, EPA will evaluate and properly dispose of hazardous substances and have them shipped to regulated landfill and disposal facilities. EPA will monitor the air quality at the site and surrounding neighborhood during demolition to ensure that the public and workers are safe during all demolition activities.

Visit the Allen Street Development site response page for additional background and future updates.

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For further information: Contact: Michael Basile, basile.michael@epa.gov, 646-369-0055