Problems at Mary Immaculate site

From DNA Info:

Mary Immaculate Hospital near downtown Jamaica had become an eyesore since it went bankrupt in 2009. Many windows are broken and, neighbors said, squatters have lived inside.

Now, as the work to transform the building into market-rate apartments begins, the community hopes it will become an asset in the neighborhood that's undergoing a number of changes.

But the demolishion of the interior of the building, which started several weeks ago, has already run into problems by producing "excessive debris at the site," said Gloria Chin, a spokeswoman for the Department of Buildings, and on Monday the city issued a stop work order.

"Work cannot continue until this matter is resolved," Chin wrote in an e-mail.

Residents said that over the years the building has become home to trash and vandals. Squatters have also lived there, said Joe Moretti, 55, a database manager, who has long advocated to clean up the site.

“It’s not like a desolate area," Moretti said. "This is right near downtown Jamaica, it’s right across from Rufus King Park, it’s right near a section where there are apartment buildings.”