Fourth Lawsuit Filed Over Asbestos Exposure at Gateway Center
Albuquerque’s Gateway Center faces a fourth lawsuit regarding asbestos exposure, with the city now suing a construction firm for damages
Albuquerque, New Mexico, Asbestos, Lawsuit, Gateway Center, Consolidated Builders
Albuquerque: So, there’s been quite a stir over at the Gateway Center. It turns out they found asbestos there, and now there are four lawsuits in play. The latest one was filed just this month by the city against a construction company that was supposed to renovate the old hospital.
This new lawsuit, filed on December 12, claims that Consolidated Builders of New Mexico should cover the city’s costs from three earlier lawsuits. Those were filed back in February by workers who say they got sick from asbestos exposure while working on the site.
The whole mess started when they discovered asbestos at the Gateway Center, which put a stop to the demolition and construction work for a new homeless shelter. It’s a big deal because the city spent a whopping $15 million to buy the building back in 2021.
Now, the lawsuits allege that both the city and the construction company didn’t do their jobs right when it came to handling the asbestos. Workers were exposed to dangerous dust, and it went on for almost a year before they finally halted the work.
There’s a lot of finger-pointing going on. The city is asking a judge to make sure Consolidated Builders takes responsibility for any damages. Meanwhile, the New Mexico Environment Department has already fined the city over this issue, which just adds to the drama.
In April, they finally managed to remove the asbestos from a large area of the building, and some parts of the Gateway Center are now open, including beds for women. But the legal battles are far from over.