The Sarasota plant is located in the zip code with the state’s highest incidence of lung disease.
By Noah Bookstein
Original Air Date: August 5, 2026
Host: The controversial concrete crushing operation in the Sarasota neighborhood with the state’s highest incidence of pulmonary disease has a new owner. Concrete crushing has resumed, and WSLR News reporter Noah Bookstein was there to check it out.
[Crushing sound]
Noah Bookstein: That is the sound of concrete crushing today at the industrial site off Central Avenue, formerly known as US Recycling.
Central Sarasota Recycling is using a different mobile crusher. | Photos by Noah Bookstein
The site itself has changed hands. Property records show that on May 28, the land previously held by US Recycling owner Christopher Williams under the name Freedom Estates was transferred to FCD Investment South LLC, a Tampa-based company linked to Feliciano Morales, the same person behind Central Sarasota Recycling and DGPS Construction.
The recorded value of the transaction was $1.5 million.
WSLR News observed DGPS Construction trucks and equipment operating at the site. Under the new operator, conditions at the site appear to have improved. Locals who frequent the area describe a reduction in runaway dust compared to operations under US Recycling.
The new operator is using a mobile crusher owned by Powerscreen of Florida, a Lakeland-based equipment company. Powerscreen did not respond to a request for comment by deadline.
While US Recycling operated without a valid permit, according to county officials, the new operators have the required permits and notifications.
WSLR News visited the site today and did not see clouds of dust leaving the facility while the crusher was operating, although some dust was visible outside the facility gates beside the road.
The site’s concrete pile has continued to grow and now stands roughly five stories tall. Concrete crushing generates respirable silica dust, a known carcinogen linked to silicosis, an irreversible scarring of the lung tissue that has no cure. The surrounding area has some of the highest cases of pulmonary disease anywhere in Florida.
Local government inspections have recently required the new operator to address conditions at the site.
Inspectors found a tripped breaker had disabled the site’s sprinklers, allowing material to dry out during high-wind conditions. According to the county, the facility had restored its dust controls, with no visible emissions observed when the crusher was tested.
A city-issued notice of violations from mid-July cited the facility for having its massive pile closer than 100 feet to residential properties, failing to maintain the required perimeter fence and using the front portion of the lot for storage rather than parking.
The city’s notice did not address air pollution. The city told WSLR News that air pollution enforcement falls under Sarasota County’s jurisdiction.
The city does have its own pollution ordinance, Chapter 27, that contains strong air quality provisions. The City Attorney’s office said it is investigating potential legal action but did not provide an update by deadline. It remains unclear whether or not the city will enforce the ordinance.
Suncoast Waterkeeper documented harmful runoff coming from the site and filed a lawsuit against US Recycling, alleging violations of the Clean Water Act. With the corporate dissolution of US Recycling and the change in property ownership, the legal path forward on that case is also unclear.
Heriberto Reyes, a representative for DGPS, told WSLR News that his group has not been involved in communications about legal matters between Suncoast Waterkeeper and US Recycling. Reyes said his group has been meeting with city representatives to better understand their concerns and to work cooperatively towards appropriate solutions. Reyes says their goal is to operate the property responsibly, maintain open communication with the neighborhood and conduct operations in a safe, environmentally responsible and legally compliant manner.
The flying dust that neighbors have been concerned about for years appears to have eased under the new operator—at least for now. But with an unresolved city attorney investigation, a pending environmental lawsuit and a concrete pile five stories tall that still needs to be crushed, the story is far from over.
Reporting for WSLR News, Noah Bookstein.
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