Brooklyn Bensonhurst 86th Street 2501 is planning to build a homeless shelter, and the construction site has once again been embroiled in asbestos controversy. On April 9th, a stop-work notice issued by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) was posted on the wooden fencing at the site, ordering all construction activities at the location to cease immediately.
According to the notice, the DEP inspected and confirmed three situations: firstly, ongoing construction activities at the site involving asbestos operations; secondly, the related operations violated Section 24-136 of the New York City Air Pollution Control Law and its asbestos regulations; thirdly, the project poses a threat to public safety. Authorized by Section 24-136(h) of the New York City Code, the DEP ordered a comprehensive work stoppage and required all personnel to take necessary measures to ensure no further construction at the site.
The notice also pointed out that for the project to resume, it must meet one of the following conditions: submit a written description of the construction scope for approval by the DEP Commissioner, or submit a complete asbestos assessment report (ACP-5) or investigation report, covering all suspected asbestos-containing materials, along with laboratory test results and regulatory chain documents, which can only resume construction after DEP review and approval. Violators may receive violation notices and be subject to daily civil fines of up to $10,000. The order has been delivered to the relevant property owners and construction contractors.
In response, Councilwoman Wong Yi released a statement on April 9th, stating that 2501 86th Street, as a planned homeless shelter, has been pointed out to have unsafe operations and suspected violations. Now, during the roof demolition, residents have discovered suspected asbestos contamination. She promptly complained to the environmental agency and successfully obtained the stop-work order, emphasizing that this poses a significant risk to community public health.
“I thank the voters for their vigilance in discovering this extremely dangerous substance and thank the DEP for taking swift action,” Wong Yi said. “We have always emphasized that the safety requirements of the property have been neglected, and the community is facing an unsafe environment. This stop-work order once again confirms our concerns.” She also called on the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) and the Mayor’s Office to conduct a comprehensive investigation, including reviewing and revoking any relevant permits that have been issued.
It is worth noting that the DEP had issued a stop-work order for the site back on May 16, 2025, due to asbestos issues, which was later rescinded. However, this time on April 9, 2026, a similar stop-work directive was issued again, raising questions from the public about the oversight process and why the developer’s submitted asbestos assessment report claimed “no detectable asbestos materials (ACM),” which does not align with the actual findings on-site, and such issues have recurred within a year.
A reporter from Epoch Times has separately emailed inquiries to the environmental agency and the Mayor’s Office regarding the reasons for the withdrawal and reissuance of the stop-work order, whether there are new violations or safety hazards involved, and subsequent enforcement issues. At the time of publication, neither department had responded.