We’re Still Fighting For Peace in Seneca Babcock

The following is a message from Diane, long-time member leader from Peabody Street, marking the anniversary of us winning the shutdown of Battaglia Demolition!

‘It’s been three years today since Battaglia Corporation on Peabody Street was shut down by Judge Chimes. Unfortunately, we are still in negotiations to get it cleaned up. I have been working with Clean Air to make it a natural habitat. It’s a shame it’s taking so long, but I am still here, and will keep fighting for it!”

Since the 2018 shutdown of Battaglia Demolition, the property has fallen into abandonment, with piles of concrete dust still swirling from the site through the neighborhood air. The derelict property has become a site with illegal dumping, and is now full of garbage and refuse, attracting rats. Residents on Peabody Street are fighting to obtain a comprehensive cleanup and the transfer of the title of the property to a community-owned land trust, which will give them the power to prevent future illegal manufacturing from moving onto the site and disrupting their neighborhood again. A ranked-choice, neighborhood vote in 2020 overwhelmingly chose to name the trust Diane’s Land, in honor of Diane Lemanski, whose tenacity, resilience, and leadership have been the foundation of this work for decades.

The community’s vision is to restore the site to natural use, with soil remediation and plantings to reduce carbon and air pollution in the neighborhood. If you are interested in joining this work, you can fill out this form to get connected to next steps!