Built in 1924, the Equitable Building stands on Locust Street in Des Moines, Iowa. This 19-story late Gothic Revival skyscraper reached a height of 318 feet (97 meters) and remained the tallest building in Iowa for 49 years, until 1973. It was named after the insurance company Equitable of Iowa, which originally owned the structure. By the 2000s, local developer Bob Knapp purchased the building for $5 million in 2005 with the aim of converting some floors into upscale apartments.
The renovation project became the subject of a major legal battle. The Iowa Attorney General's Office filed a lawsuit in May 2009 alleging that Equitable L.P. failed to inspect for, notice, remove, handle, and dispose of asbestos while renovating the top 13 floors from 2005 to 2008. These violations were highlighted after an anonymous complaint led the DNR to investigate and document numerous violations in late 2007. The DNR issued an administrative order requiring the company to stop activities until all floors were inspected and asbestos-containing material was removed by a licensed contractor. The suit alleged that Equitable L.P. continued with renovations in violation of this order, leading to a second Notice of Violation in February 2008.
In May 2009, a judge entered a Consent Order, Judgment and Decree, ordering Equitable L.P. to pay a $500,000 environmental civil penalty, which was the largest such penalty in Iowa for asbestos violations. The company admitted it failed to thoroughly inspect the building for asbestos, submit written notice to the DNR, or take precautions for the presence of asbestos-containing material. Asbestos is regulated as a hazardous air pollutant because it can cause lung disease and cancer if reduced to powder or dust.
Legal consequences extended to the individuals involved. A federal grand jury indicted developer Bob Knapp and supervisor Russell Coco on 11 counts for gutting floors while asbestos was present and improperly disposing of the material. In February 2011, Knapp pleaded guilty to two charges and was sentenced to 41 months in prison. Russell Coco also pleaded guilty in February 2011 to charges of conspiracy to impede EPA asbestos removal procedures and violations of the Clean Air Act, receiving three years of probation. The building was eventually sold to Equitable Lofts LLC on February 15, 2012, and converted into upscale apartments.
Sources: [1] https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/15000154
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
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