The historic Northern Hotel in Billings, Montana is under new ownership. New owners Mike and Chris Nelson, a team of brothers, are hoping to win back former customers and restore the aging hotel’s former prestige. The brothers are planning a multi-million dollar renovation project that will update the Northern into a three-star hotel and restaurant that will be in direct competition with the nearby Crowne Plaza Hotel.

The 10-story hotel is 70 years old, and needs a great deal of work. One of the first problems the Nelsons will need to tackle is the asbestos problem. Asbestos, a toxic substance known to cause lung cancer and mesothelioma, is lurking within the hulking structure. Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that attacks the lungs, heart, or abdomen before invading the rest of the body. Mesothelioma is incredibly aggressive, and can kill within months of being diagnosed. There is no known cure, but a number of oncologists, including Dr. Anne Tsao, continue to work towards a cure.

Last week, 2 foot wide plastic tubes were found throughout the lobby. The purpose of the tubes was to promote proper air flow into the sealed off areas where asbestos removal was taking place. Once the asbestos has been removed from the building the real work can begin. Workers hope to start transforming the hotel into a sleek, simple, Bauhaus-style hotel. The Nelson brothers hope to open the hotel by 2011.

Millions of buildings nationwide are laden with asbestos in the form of attic insulation, floor or ceiling tiles, roofing tiles, and other products. Before federal regulations were instituted, manufactured products could contain limitless asbestos, but regulations now demand that products contain no more than 1% asbestos, or the product is considered illegal to use.

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