By Nicole Breskin
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
WEST VILLAGE — A plague of rats that had celebrity Gisele Bundchen shrieking earlier this year might be returning to the cobble-stoned neighborhood because of a new construction project, say worried residents.
The upscale neighborhood, which is home to celebs, including actors Michael Cera and Rupert Everett, was infested by the vermin in May. The city went about killing the rats, and the problem apparently subsided.
But since a public school construction project began on Clarkson Street, residents are gnawed by worry that the rats are coming back.
Residents complain that the school does not sufficiently clear its trash, leaving trails of food and drinks for rats to feast on.
“It’s the responsibility of the school custodian to keep the sidewalk clean to prevent rats," said Ellen Peterson-Lewis, a member of Community Board 2’s Environment, Public Safety and Public Health Committee. "That’s not happening.”
City-As-School, a public school on Clarkson Street, is currently undergoing renovations. School officials declined to comment.
Back in May, the rat problem in the several block area around Morton Street got so bad that Gisele Bundchen was heard screaming in fright from outside her Barrow Street townhouse.
“It was a major problem,” said Albert Bennett, of the Morton Street Neighbors Block Association. “It was possible to go out and see dozens crossing the street. You could see their burrows in tree pits. Some were tiny babies but others were enormous and unattractive.”
Rick Simeone, director of Pest Control Services at the Department of Health, said he took up several measures to kill rats in the neighborhood, including scattering bait boxes filled with blood thinner. But there are issues that prevent a total wipeout.
“You can kill rats on the top surface, but they’ll still come back because the cracks are deep,” he said. “There’s a tremendous amount of traffic and subway lines underground.”
Still, though they're keeping a wary eye on the Clarkson Street project, many locals feel the rat issue is improving.
“It’s much better,” said Bennett. “One person told me they saw a rat corpse recently. But otherwise there were no major sightings.”
