The South Shore YMCA parking lot, a Callahan project, has officially taken more than twice as long to tear down and re-build as the Empire State Building took to build.
This was just one of the many complaints voiced by Quincy resident and South Shore YMCA neighbor Laurel Blanchard, in an interview with the Patriot Ledger last week. The project has taken 30 months so far (as opposed to just 14 months for the Empire State Building), and is still not finished. Neighbors say the construction noise and dust has been unbearable, and that the lack of a barrier between the parking lot construction and their homes has “disrupted the quality of their lives” (Patriot Ledger, 07/22/16).
City Councilor Margaret Laforest said that while the YMCA is a great organization, the project itself has been a “lousy neighbor.” Mayor Thomas Koch agreed that “this hasn’t been the easiest process.”
The new South Shore YMCA opened in January of 2014, though reports continued to pour in of leaking ceilings, peeling floor boards, and other construction disasters. Callahan began demolishing the old YMCA building in February of 2014, promising a new parking lot by May of that year. Now, more than two years later, the old building is gone but the new parking lot is not yet complete.
Workers came forward in December of 2015 stating that they had not been paid for months of work on the demolition of the old YMCA, and concerns were raised about possible mishandling of asbestos after it was found in the building. Copies of the checks from these workers show that no state or federal taxes were taken out, and when the workers tried to cash their paychecks, the checks bounced.
Callahan’s business model relies on a network of subcontractors with illegal and unethical business practices. It is clear that this business model results in project delays and dissatisfied customers.
