By Josh Williams
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
FINANCIAL DISTRICT — Eight years after it was severely damaged and shuttered by the World Trade Center attacks, the demolition of the tragedy-prone Deutsche Bank building is ready to continue.
Bovis Lend Lease is expected to hand over paperwork next week certifying they've finished cleaning up toxic substances such as asbestos that blanketed the building following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack.
"The abatement is complete," said Avi Schick, Chairman of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, which oversees the site.
The Buildings Department will have to approve any request to resume the troubled demolition project, which has been plagued with delays and death.
Demolition was suspended and three supervisors from the John Galt Corp., the on-site subcontractor hired by Bovis, were indicted on manslaughter charges after two firefighters Robert Beddia and Joseph Graffagnino were killed while responding to a blaze at the tower in August 2007.
An investigation revealed a severed standpipe that carried water to the building was cut and stairwells sealed shut, according to published reports.
The John Galt company reputedly had a history of safety violations and alleged ties to the mob, according to the Daily News.
In a controversial decision, Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau opted not to indict Bovis Lend Lease for fear it would bring a halt to their jobs all around the city, the Daily News reported.
If approved, Bovis told the New York Times they would use the latest technology to ensure a safe demolition.
"We believe we have developed a plan utilizing the latest techniques and best practices to safely and efficiently deconstruct 130 Liberty Street," Bovis senior vice president Steven Sommer told the Times.
City officials told the New York Post they expect to have the building demolished by the end of 2010.
