Health officials stop demolition of Brookline building

Health officials stopped the demolition of a building in Brookline that has prompted concerns from neighbors.

The Allegheny County Health Department said there are no regulations for demolition work besides asbestos abatement.

Neighbors say they've been dealing with air quality issues and erosion control problems as crews demolish the old Bradley Center near Castlegate Avenue in Brookline.

"The last three or four weeks when they started this construction, the dust has been so thick here you can't even breathe,” resident Michael Lagnese said. “They took part of that hillside down there and since they took that out, the water's been rushing down the street. The whole side of my home here leaks."

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Nearby residents said they deal with constant dust and debris, and they have serious concerns about that, saying the buildings being demolished were built in the 1930s.

"You can feel it in your house. You can taste it in your mouth. You can feel it in your throat. You can feel it in your eyes,” Lagnese said.

County health inspectors have been called out to the project seven times, including on Thursday, when the inspector saw significant dust and ordered the crews to use dust suppression measures.

Neighbors said they’re not against the new condominium development that's going to be built there, but they want the contractors to be good neighbors.

"I would like to see them use water cannons, and they said they would use tarps. Just do the things that they said that they would do,” Lagnese said.

The development is being built in Mount Lebanon, but neighbors on one side of the street have a Brookline address.

Pittsburgh Councilwoman Natalia Rudiak said she’s reached out to the developer and officials in Mount Lebanon to try and help residents.

Cox Media Group