Implosion Of Germantown High-Rise Forcing Residential Evacuations

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By Cherri Gregg, Charlotte Huffman

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) Contractors are making final preparations for the implosion of the Queen Lane Apartment building in Germantown as the Philadelphia Housing Authority isplanning to build 55 low-rise, affordable town home rentalsthat will be completed next year.

At 16 stories high and nearly a block wide, the Queen Lane Apartment Building is a formidable structure. But at 7:15 Saturday morning itll be reduced to rubble.

Just imagine the capacity of the dust thats going to occur when the building does come down, says Bilquis Basset who lives on Priscilla Street, adjacent to the construction.

She and more than 90 other residents who live in a one block radius known as the evacuation zone have been asked to be out of their homes by 6 a.m. Saturday.

Of course were concerned about the cleanup of windows and our doors, but our most concern is health-wise, she says. Many of the children and elders on this block have asthma and whenever there is dust coming from the building I can barely speak and have to go inside.

Lamita Robinson lives across the street from the site and like Basset, shes concerned about the effects that may be left behind after the dust settles.

My sons asthma is really bad and theres a lot of dust and I know there is asbestos in the building because I saw the signs when walking my dog. So Im not happy, Robinson said.

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Implosion Of Germantown High-Rise Forcing Residential Evacuations