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Overcast Jackson Hotel slapped with stop-work orders
Building inspectors halt work amid asbestos find
The Jackson Hotel, which was sold last month and is undergoing renovations, was slapped with a stop-work order last week, after building inspectors discovered asbestos in the 90-year-old building, at 405 E. Broadway.
It was the second stop-work order issued within two weeks. The Jackson — which had fell into disrepair and struggled financially before it recently closed its doors — was sold for approximately $5.2 million to 405 Hotel LLC in July and has been undergoing extensive renovations.
City officials said that the work includes gutting rooms and removing debris. But the city issued its first stop-work order on July 25, when it was discovered that a licensed electrician was not present to oversee some of the interior renovations, work that the city had yet to sign off on.
“They had applied for the permit for interior demolition, but we had not issued it as of yet,” said Buildings Commissioner Scott Kemins. “So that was why we issued the stop-work order.”
Kemins said that the city was still waiting for a licensed electrician to file papers with the city before any work could begin again.
“We do have all that in place now,” Kemins said said.
The second stop-work order was issued by The New York Stare Department of Labor on Aug. 10, after asbestos was discovered, Kemins said.
Kemins said that state inspectors issued the order to take samples and ensure that the asbestos is removed properly.
“I got an email from the Department of Labor this morning [Aug. 17] telling me that [the hotel] has a licensed contractor and they are cooperating and complying with their regulations,” Kemins said. “Once we get the clearance from the Department of Labor, their permit will be issued.”
New owner David Kadosh did not return a call for comment. He told the Herald in July that the Jackson was in the process of being cleaned up.
“We’re trying to restore the building to its original details,” he said. “The hotel was vacant for a long time and people used it as a dump. We’re cleaning it up and putting it back together the best we can.”
The 120-room, 60,000-square-foot hotel was built in the late 1920s and had been on the market for more than five years. Once charging $79 to $129 per night, the Jackson collected poor reviews on a number of travel websites. It was the city’s only hotel until the Allegria opened in 2009.
