Mayor Bill de Blasio confirmed a news report today that Gracie Mansion, the Upper East Side mayoral residence, has leaky roofs and asbestos, the cancer-causing material.
“We’ve definitely seen the leaks. There’s definitely been some live leaks at Gracie Mansion and I mean leaks where
“The asbestos situation has been discovered in the context of trying to figure out how to sure up the roof in general. So hopefully we’ll have a long-term solution that will fix the roof but also get the asbestos out,” he added. “I saw leaking in some of the rooms right off the ballroom.”
The Associated Press reported today that asbestos was discovered in Gracie Mansion’s roof. Workers were replacing the leaky roof on the 216-year-old residence when they found pockets of asbestos last month. Officials do not believe the work poses any health risk to Mr. Blasio and his family and they will remain in the home during the renovation, according to the report.
The asbestos removal will reportedly cost about $250,000 and begin later this month. The replacement of the mansion’s 30-year-old roof will cost an additional $3.4 million.
Mr. de Blasio’s predecessor, Michael Bloomberg, never lived in the mansion but renovated it extensively.
