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Locals lament demolition of East New York White Castle, which was built on toxic land
By
Elijah Hurewitz-Ravitch
Published Jun 18, 2025
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Elijah Hurewitz-Ravitch
By
Elijah Hurewitz-Ravitch
Published Jun 18, 2025
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An East New York White Castle that’s been slinging burgers since 1958 is set to be demolished this fall, and locals are sad to see the fast food joint go — despite a buffet of toxins beneath the building.
Real estate firm Empire Management has filed permits for two eight-story buildings, featuring commercial space and 198 apartments, at the Atlantic Avenue lot. In anticipation of the project, an environmental consultant commissioned by the site’s developers took samples of the land below the burger joint, known for its 30-slider “crave cases.” The results: an assortment of toxic chemicals in the groundwater and soil, including carcinogens, pesticides and metals like lead and mercury.
The assessment found the toxins were at high enough levels to require the developer to take steps to avoid contaminating the surrounding community, city records show.
White Castle spokesperson Jamie Richardson wrote that the company “has no awareness of any environmental issues associated with the site.” A spokesperson for the city’s health department wrote that “we do not anticipate any health effects from environmental conditions.”
Customers at the White Castle were similarly unworried.
“You hear about that stuff. It's not like it’s uncommon,” longtime customer Samantha Estrema said.
But she added she was “so sad” to learn that the White Castle would soon be knocked down. Her father used to bring her to the restaurant after she finished school across the street. Now, she brings her son. Their order: chicken sandwiches with no cheese, fries and mozzarella sticks.
“The workers have known me since I was young, and they see me raising my son,” said Estrema. “ This is, I don’t wanna say a historical spot, but so many people have been here for years. Unlike any other place in Brooklyn, this is a go-to spot.”
The city expects that the building will be demolished in September and that, after soil excavation and the installation of a concrete slab with a vapor barrier, construction of the new buildings will begin in December or January.
The store manager told Gothamist that she was not aware of plans to redevelop the site, but added that none of the employees were authorized to speak to the press.
One diner, Lyndon Pierson, who is currently trying to break into real estate, said that the creation of new apartments would be a net positive. “It’s a good idea,” he said, but added that he is concerned about parking, which the new plans do not include, and “saturation.”
Long-time patron Luis Quiles, meanwhile, was disappointed. Like Estrema, he opposes the coming redevelopment.
He described the White Castle as a citadel of the community and said that its destruction would affect the fabric of the neighborhood. “Everybody always says, ‘Meet me at White Castle’s in East New York.’ Everybody knows where it’s at — older people and younger people,” Quiles said.
He said he’d come to the location since immigrating to the United States in 1968. Back then, he said, the sliders were 13 cents a piece.
He was unfazed by the subterranean toxins.
“I ain’t dead yet from eating here,” he deadpanned.
Quiles added that “chemicals are all over East New York” and pointed to the area’s history as a dumping ground for various kinds of waste.
Shannon Roback, science director of the environmental nonprofit Riverkeeper, explained that many of the chemicals present underneath the White Castle are byproducts of fossil fuel combustion. Public records show that the site was occupied by a used car depot in the 1950s.
Roback added that before Congress created the Environmental Protection Agency in 1970, it was common for business owners to dispose of industrial chemicals by dumping them into pits in the ground, where they’d then leach into the soil.
The shuttering of the East New York restaurant will reduce the number of White Castles in the city to 21 — a marked decrease from 36 in 2008, according to a “State of the Chains” report.
But the chain remains “committed to our significant presence on the East Coast,” according to Richardson.
“One of the most difficult decisions we, as a family-owned business, make is to close a location,” he added. “We are grateful for the chance we’ve had to be part of this neighborhood for so long and thankful for the many customers who have created memorable moments at this Castle.”
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brooklyn
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new york city
Elijah Hurewitz-Ravitch
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