Asbestos Could Destroy Historic Landmark

Asbestos has put Panama City, Florida's City Commissioners in a rock-and-a-hard place decision: save a landmark to the city's past or invest in the city's future. It's a dilemma made inescapable by asbestos, and it's the kind of crisis of conscience that town councils and city managers are facing across the country.

In 1914, Panama City's town fathers built the landmark as the city's first chamber of commerce. Later, it served as the town's first library and, finally, the old building entered a kind of prolonged retirement as the home of the Panama City Elks Lodge. Now, however, the Elks have left, and the city is faced with a choice: spend $290,000 to buy the property as-is (and integrate it into the city's marina revitalization program) or spend $17,000 to demolish the lifeline to the city's past.

What's the x-factor? Asbestos. Although pre-demolition asbestos removal will be costly, it doesn't compare with the possible costs associated with pre-renovation asbestos remediation. If the city assumes the full costs associated with the Elk Lodge, the resulting costs could swamp the city's finances in red ink. Or, the asbestos could be minor and costly only a few thousand dollars. For the city commissioners, the decision is as much leap-of-faith as it is an act of well-reasoned public policy.

Panama City is just one of hundreds of American cities confronting the issue of what to do with run-down, asbestos-insulated landmark buildings. How dangerous is asbestos? What kind of legal liabilities should city leaders take into consideration? If you're city or town is considering what to do, these are likely some of the questions they're asking. To find out the answers, contact the experts at Fears | Nachawati. We can help you! For a free consultation, call 1.866.705.7584 or send an email to info@fnlawfirm.com.