Co-Op City
Co-Op city is the largest cooperative housing project of its kind in the world. Situated in the Baychester area of the Bronx, the complex of apartment high-rises and townhouses is located at the intersection of the I-95 expressway and the Hutchinson River Parkway. To gain perspective of how truly massive the "city within a city” is, if it were a separate municipality other than part of Bronx Co, it would be the tenth-largest city in New York State.
In all Co-Op city contains 15, 372 units in 35 high-rise building and 236 townhouses in seven clusters. Considering its enormous size, construction was rather swift. Building began on the majority of the existing infrastructure in 1968, with most being completed by 1971. Aside from residential buildings the complex also features eight parking garages, three shopping centers, and fifteen houses of worship. In addition, Co-Op city has its own branch of uniformed police officers and two newspapers serving exclusively within the complex. The facilities also require their own power-plant to generate the gas and electric deliveries to residences and offices of Co-Op city. The sheer quantity and density of people also necessitated the creation of a firehouse and fire-department to service the area.
Unfortunately, Co-Op city has also been associated in recent years with unstable construction and hazardous living conditions in many buildings. Whether or not the speed with which the complex was erected lessened the integrity of the construction, there are certainly structural issues that are now becoming evident. One of the more common structural materials used at the time of its construction was asbestos. Asbestos was used in nearly all aspects of Co-Op city's construction in many materials such as ceiling tiles, floor paneling, and structural insulation.
Asbestos was banned in the later 1970's under federal edict because of its association with respiratory health consequences. Conclusive evidence shows that inhalation of asbestos fibers can seriously exacerbate existing breathing issues and create others, such as mesothelioma, a form of cancer that affects the pleural lining of the lung. If you worked in Co-op city, either in a construction or repair capacity, you may have been adversely affected by the inhalation of asbestos fibers. It is important that you recognize specific areas of danger. Insulation of pipe, flooring, electrical fixtures, or walls were most likely areas of danger. For those who labored in these areas or elsewhere within Co-Op city, closely monitor your health and consult a physician if you become aware of any respiratory symptoms such as coughing, difficulty breathing, or chest pain.
