Bangor Officials Mull Options for $2 Million Vacant Lot

After spending taxpayer funds to purchase, remediate, and demolish an asbestos-laced building, Bangor, Maine, is now the proud owner of a vacant lot.

The county purchased the property in 2017 at the corner of Hammond and Court streets — the site that once housed the Bangor YMCA — with plans to turn it into the new Penobscot County Jail. It bought the building for $825,000 the day after it was condemned by the city of Bangor.

But when that plan fell apart, the county found itself stuck with a dilapidated, asbestos-filled building. Ultimately, county commissioners approved spending just more than $1 million from the American Rescue Plan Act in 2023 to remove asbestos from the building and then demolish it.

Demolition of the building finished in August. There are no plans for the property yet, Penobscot County Commissioner Andre Cushing said. Various companies have expressed interest but no decision has been made on proposals, he said.

An old, asbestos-laced building and its subsequent demolition usually creates four kinds of potential asbestos exposure victims.

• Direct Occupational: Twenty thousand asbestos fibers can fit on a penny between Abe Lincoln’s nose and mouth. So, these tiny fibers pass through many facemasks. Additionally, these fibers are small enough to enter the body through sweat pores and other tiny openings. Just one fiber could cause one of the diseases discussed below.
• Indirect Occupational: Furthermore, once released into the air, asbestos fibers usually float for at least twenty-four hours. They may float into construction trailers and other such places, where they infect people who do not handle asbestos-laced insulation or another asbestos-laced product, like concrete or drywall.
• Direct Ambient (Environmental): Furthermore, these tiny fibers have spikes that allow them to cling to almost any surface, such as hair and clothes. Therefore, when direct and indirect occupational victims go home, they often carry asbestos fibers with them. These fibers could then poison family, friends, and anyone else who enters the house.
• Indirect Ambient: We mentioned the fact that asbestos fibers float. These floating fibers could drift far away from the asbestos hotspot. Moreover, when a disaster, like 9/11 or the 2025 California wildfires, creates smoke clouds, these clouds are laced with asbestos and other hazardous materials.

Mesothelioma lung cancer is a particularly nasty form of a particularly nasty disease. This disease has an unusually long latency period. Many mesothelioma victims are sick for at least fifty years before they show any outward signs of illness, such as general pain, trouble breathing, or extreme weight loss. By that time, many exposure victims are in their 70s or 80s, meaning that they usually aren’t good candidates for aggressive cancer treatment. 

Other asbestos-exposure-associated lung diseases include asbestosis, a condition also known as popcorn lung, and pleural thickening, a disease that almost literally collapses the lungs.

No matter how much time elapses between exposure and illness discovery, a nationwide mesothelioma lawyer still has legal options. 

Asbestos poisoning suspends the statute of limitations, which is normally two years, in many states. Therefore, a nationwide mesothelioma lawyer can hold the product manufacturer liable for the aforementioned damages if the provider fails to adequately warn people of the dangers of asbestos.

Various no-fault compensation options are usually available as well. Service-related asbestos exposure victims can claim VA disability benefits. Workers’ compensation is available if the exposure is job-related. Social Security Disability is available regardless of the exposure source.

These options are easier to prove than negligence, so the matters are less complex. However, less compensation is available. It’s usually limited to lost wage replacement and medical bill payment.

A bankruptcy victim compensation fund claim is a hybrid between these two kinds of matters. If the asbestos provider declared bankruptcy and contributed to a fund, when a lawyer submits a claim, no adverse attorney challenges the victim’s evidence. Therefore, in many cases, a bankruptcy VCF is the fastest and easiest way to obtain compensation.

Mesothelioma victims need and deserve significant compensation. For a confidential consultation with an experienced nationwide mesothelioma lawyer, contact the Throneberry Law Group. The sooner you reach out to us, the sooner we start working for you.