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Demanding Answers: City-Hired Contractor Goes Bankrupt, Leaves Big Mess In Bayside Hills

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- There's a nasty mess in one of the city's nicest neighborhoods. A sewer project stalled because the contractor hired by the city went bankrupt.

As CBS2's Tony Aiello reported, residents are sick of what construction crews left behind.

There's been no work on the sewer upgrade project in six weeks, and efforts to move the storage units and construction equipment left behind have yet to be completed by Trocom, the city contractor who declared partial bankruptcy in May.

"You know it really is upsetting to me. It has become a hazard because it's attracted more raccoons, there's rats here," Lia Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez lived with trailers outside her home for more than two years, and since the contractor has gone bankrupt it isn't sending workers to clean up the garbage piling up near the graffiti covered units.

"To me it looks like a dump," she said.

In fact someone dumped street signs outside her home weeks ago.

CBS2 helped Rodriguez by reporting them directly to a top Department of Transportation staff member.

"Why should they have to live with this? This is totally unacceptable," State Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) said.

State Senator Avella said the agency in charge of the project generally does good work -- the Department of Design and Construction, the DDC.

He questioned the hiring of a contractor with shaky financials.

"We have to make sure that when a contractor is the successful bidder, they have the wherewithal, the history, and the ability to complete the project in a timely fashion," Avella said.

Bids on the project ranged from $19-million to $33-million. The DDC said it was required to hire the low bidder and is now working to line up another company to complete the work. They've promised additional cleanup in the next 10 days.

 

 

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