Cineplex Odeon site to finally get cleanup

When it comes to environmental cleanup, sometimes the wheels of change grind slowly.

Take the case of such a location at 183-15 Horace Harding Expressway in Fresh Meadows, a 1.6-acre site which formerly housed a strip mall and was demolished three years ago under the state’s voluntary Brownfield Cleanup Program.

The purpose of the program is to encourage land owners to clean up toxic materials. The state offers owners incentives such as liability relief and tax credits.

Three years later, the location remains untouched. The temporary plywood fence is full of graffiti and posters and parts of it have fallen down. But after years of false starts and promises, preliminary action is expected to begin later this spring.

Cleanup On Slow Track At Cineplex Odeon Site