Emeryville Developer Wareham's Lead Dust Makes Tenant's Homes "Unihabitable"

 Wareham Development Demolition Doses Tenants with Toxic Lead 

Lead Report Says Toxicity at "Dangerous Levels" in Homes

An Emeryville family was recently forced out of their Hollis Street home because their landlord, Wareham Development Corporation, has contaminated their unit with toxic lead dust from a large remodel project on their building.  The lead contamination has rendered their home “uninhabitable” according to a report produced by a lead abatement firm tenant Wendy Medeiros and her husband hired.  The couple alerted the City of Emeryville starting in March after what a neighbor called “constant disruptions” in dust and cuts to their water and power by Wareham and now the lead report that concluded the presence of “dangerous levels of lead” in their home and in the hallways and other rental units in the building.  The lead contamination and disruptions has contributed to an exodus of residential renters from the building neighbors say; just 16 out of 41 units are still occupied, a condition Ms Medeiros called “disheartening”.

Large scale demolition work has been happening on the
building since March.  No water spraying dust mitigation 
measures have been noted by the residents, a standard
method to keep dust levels low, especially toxic dust.

The remodel project is part of the controversial EmeryStation V, a new five story, 300,000 square foot R+D building with a nearly 500 space parking garage all attached to the existing residential building between Hollis Street and Overland Street at 62nd Street.  Wareham and its politically connected CEO Rich Robbins has developed more than eight large projects around the Amtrak station over the last 25 years, many with generous application of public funds.  

The first spate of demolition associated with the project, in 2024, produced a lot of dust says Ms Medeiros, but Wareham offered to clean up their apartment.  Wareham hired a lead analysis firm at the time and they reported “low levels” of the toxin she said.  However, Wareham did not make the findings known to the couple.  Starting in March with the latest demolition on the site and new clouds of dust entering their home, they hired their own firm, Alpha Analytical Laboratories of Petaluma CA.  After an onsite inspection and dust sample collection by a licensed lead abatement technician, the report concluded the lead contamination was acute and happened because of the demolition.  However Wareham is questioning the validity of the Alpha report the couple says. 

The tenant Wendy Medeiros told the Tattler after last year’s toxic dosing of her home by Wareham followed on by this latest onslaught now proved by the independent lead report, has left her at her wits end, “It is disheartening to find myself in a position where I must explain that my right to habitability, health and safety matters.  These are not privileges — they are the bare minimum of what any tenant should expect. Lead contamination is not negotiable.  Habitability is not negotiable.  No one should have to battle that, she said.  

6221 Hollis Street
Large amounts of toxic dust have entered 
tenants' living spaces, including in
the hallways.

A neighbor in the building, Sara Chestnutt-Fry who also has been living under the cloud of lead dust, agreed with Medeiros, “I think the saddest part to me is none us want to move. Everyone left in the building has lived here long term, some tenants for decades, and if we’re forced to relocate it will be devastating to our little artist community, Chestnutt-Fry told the Tattler.  “The most frustrating part is they could have done it right. All they had to do was be transparent and protect our health and safety”, she added.

The EmeryStation V Overland Project became known for having received an improper favor from then Mayor John Bauters wherein CEO Rich Robbins was allowed to provide an excess of parking spaces, above and beyond the official parking policy of the City of Emeryville.  The City Council give -a-way to Wareham is but the latest act of improper largess forwarded to Wareham by certain Emeryville elected officials over the years that has been shown to be a pattern and practice for the politically connected developer.

Wendy Medeiros spoke for the whole community in her building after the latest Wareham dust cloud settled, "It should not be up to tenants to insist on protections that are, by law, non-negotiable or be forced to defend what should never be up for debate in any landlord-tenant relationships”.   

Emeryville City Attorney John Kennedy indicated he would be willing to meet with the tenants to hear their concerns but he has not yet done so say neighbors.  

Wareham Development could not be reached for comment.

The Hollis Street front of the building.  Many people live or until
recently lived in this front part.  The demolition has occurred chiefly 
in the rear portion but inadequate dust mitigation by Wareham 
has allowed the dust to migrate into the resident's homes.