With the help of federal stimulus money, Cleveland, Ohio’s Gordon Square Theater will undergo asbestos abatement. The $200,000 will help fund the continued renovation of the Cleveland Public Theatre, reports cleveland.com.
The Gordon Theater is part of Cleveland’s historic Gordon Square Arts District, which has recently undergone a multimillion-dollar redevelopment. The theater is just one of Cleveland’s three performance venues.
The asbestos abatement project will not only generate jobs in the neighborhood, but will make the building safer. For asbestos is a highly hazardous material–especially when disturbed during renovation.
When the material is disturbed, the toxic particles become airborne, and are easily inhaled. When inhaled for extended periods of time, the asbestos has been known to cause lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma. mesothelioma is the most aggressive asbestos-related cancer, known to form from the mesothelium.
Due to the disease’s dormant nature, patients are unaware of their condition for several decades. Because of this, treatment of the asbestos cancer, such as mesothelioma surgery and chemotherapy, arrive in the later stages of their disease.
The money was provided by a new fund that will be used for cleanup and revitalization of historical sites such as the Gordon Square Theater. The money will help pay for asbestos removal in the ceiling. The work is slated to begin in January, and conclude in March.