BY SANDI LUSK
Right before the pandemic
tightened its grip on everyone
and everything we learned
of a 200-bed homeless shelter
for single men to be built
on Blondell Avenue approximately
2 blocks away from the
huge affordable housing project
that will be Blondell Commons.
This location is on the
Community Board 11 side of
the street, and CB11 needed
to have 2 homeless shelters located
within their district (this
is one of them) as they currently
have none.
We said at the time that not
only will this greatly affect the
businesses and residents on
Blondell Avenue, this location
also means that the currently
overburdened Westchester
Square area and the struggling
businesses there will be
over run with even more transient
homeless, keeping shoppers
away, and causing other
issues, as this population often
includes people with mental
illness and substance and alcohol
abuse issues. In addition,
there are several SRO homeless
shelters and a methadone
clinic a short distance away
on the Bronx Psychiatric campus,
and the Square already
serves as a “meeting place” for
the residents and patients from
there.
Looked at another way, with
the city supposedly “broke”
that particular site is bad from
a fi scal point of view, as it is a
contaminated site with a very
high water table (a creek runs
under it) and the city will have
to pay millions in remediation
that they wouldn’t have to
spend at another site.
However, after a long silence
we have now received word
that the city is going ahead
with this blow to the community
and I am giving the facts
here as I received them:
CONTRACT PUBLIC
HEARING
THURSDAY, APRIL 29,
2021 10:00 AM
CALL-IN #: 1-646-992-2010
ACCESS CODE: 715 951 139
PUBLIC HEARING in the
matter of a proposed contract
between the Department of
Homeless Services of the City
of New York and the contractor
listed below, for the provision
of Shelter Facilities for
Homeless Single Adults. The
term of this contract will be
from February 1, 2021 to
June 30, 2053.
Local Cub Scout Pack
receives Parvuli Dei medals
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, A 42 PR. 30-MAY 6, 2021 BTR
Contractor: Care for
the Homeless: Price
$349,001,559
For 1374 Blondell Avenue
New York, NY 10016 Bronx,
NY 10461
Yes, you read that right.
This will cost the taxpayers almost
$350,000,000 to build this
homeless SRO barracks and the
contract is for 32 years.
By the time you read this,
the “hearing” will already be
over. We intend to call in, but
in all honesty, this looks like a
done deal.
And so, all the work put into
improving the Square over the
years will be lost.
I have one more thing to say
about this Blondell Avenue situation.
There ARE residents and
homeowners who call this little
side street home. Who have
lived there over many generations
and whose homes go back
100 years or more. How will this
nightmare of an 11-story affordable
housing project, completely
out of scale with its surroundings,
and an SRO mens’ shelter
right next to it affect them?
This little backwater that has
been the same for decades will
suddenly be overwhelmed and
overrun and unsafe. It must be
heartbreaking for them to see
their homes and neighborhood
the target of so many ill advised
and unwelcome changes and
feel powerless to change it. As
indeed I do too.
TTFN. Wear your masks,
get vaccinated, stay safe, until
we meet again.
CIVIC CENTER
Westchester Square
Zerega Improvement
Organization
Left to Right: Joe DeTiberiis (Cubmaster), Anthony Bruno, Raymond Menendez, Mason
Keane, Fr. Norton, Dillan Cazamayou, Joseph Bruno (right front) and Louis Navarro.
Photos courtesy of Danielle Cazamayou, Cub Scout Leader
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