RHR air conditioning retained for WTC cleanup job

Real Estate Weekly, Jan 9, 2002

In an effort to eliminate odors and airborne elements resulting from the tragic events of Sept. 11, RHR Air Conditioning has been retained by leading building owner and manager Brodsky Organization to steam clean and remove all collected debris from 600 Package Terminal Air-Conditioner Units (PTAC), comprising both heating and cooling elements, in 209 apartments at RiverWatch, 70 Battery Place in Battery Park City, announces Robin Stoller, president of the service provider, installation and distribution firm.

In an involved process that requires four to five specialists to process each unit, an individual PTAC is removed from the apartment enclosed in a plastic bag. It is then brought to a designated outdoor area on the building's premises where it is thoroughly washed using a high-powered steam machine that shoots special chemical cleaners at a pressure of 150 pounds per square inch.

Moreover, before returning the units to the apartments for re-installation, the sleeve encasements are completely wiped down with damp cloths and cleaned with Hepa filtered vacuum cleaners to efficiently eliminate any additional dust or debris.

"The building's proximity to Ground Zero makes it an inherently complicated job because of the nature of the particles that have become airborne and settled into the units," points out Stoller. "I have the utmost respect for the Brodsky Organization, which is voluntarily providing each of the residents of RiverWatch with a comprehensive cleaning. Not every landlord down here has shown this kind foresight and commitment to their tenants, and working with Brodsky's Director of Construction Sal Panico has greatly expedited the project."

The RiverWatch project began the third week of October and it is anticipated that it will be completed by the end of January 2002, pending RHR's ability to gain access to the remaining apartments not yet processed. Supervising the RHR team is operations manager Anthony Cannizzaro.