Public Place cleanup stirs concerns over health risks

Cleanup at the six-acre contaminated site of Public Place, along the
Gowanus Canal, is underway, but residents are concerned about what
might happen if the contaminants are disturbed and not properly
monitored. The city said this phase does not pose a threat to the
public, but some residents complained of breathing in dust generated by
the cleanup. The Hudson Companies was chosen by the city last week to
develop 774 apartments and a park at the site, with a possible growth
by 500 units if a neighboring property owner joins in. The two-acre
canal-side park would join a waterfront esplanade estimated to be 70
feet wide.