Hells Angels buy former American
Legion property on Longstreet Ave.
Southern Boulevard BID introduces new executive director
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, DECEMBER 1 BTR 3-19, 2019 3
BY JASON COHEN
The Southern Boulevard Business
Improvement District has a new
leader at its helm. In the beginning of
the month it introduced south Bronx
resident Miles Burnett, as its next executive
director.
Burnett, the former director of
communications for Councilman Andrew
Cohen, will represent the BID
that encompasses 150 stores along the
shopping strip from East 167th to East
169th street.
For the past year Mike Brady of the
3rd Ave BID temporarily ran the BID
after the previous director, Marquis
Payne, was let go.
Burnett, 27, who resides in Port
Morris, is ready to make a difference
in the community.
“I think the Bronx deserves the
best,” Burnett said. “People need to see
what we are.”
Burnett grew up in Binghamton
and fell in love with acting at a young
age. He went to the Walnut Hill School
for the Arts in Natick, MA, with hopes
of being on the big stage.
But when he moved to the city, he
quickly realized it was not for him and
transitioned to politics and organizing.
“That’s what really brought me to
NYC to be a star,” he said.
From 2016 to 2017 he served as the
project manger for Working Families
Party in Long Island, where he was the
liaison between various political campaigns
and Working Families Party
directors.
“It was an exciting time,” he recalled.
“It taught me about organizing
communities and coalition building.”
From February 2017 to March 2019
he was the business development coordinator
of the Third Avenue BID and
from March 2018 to December, was the
director of communications for Councilman
Cohen.
In Cohen’s offi ce, he worked with
many different organizations, BIDs
and agencies, which prepared him for
his new role.
Burnett looks forward to his new
position and told the Bronx Times the
high vacancy rate and lack of diversity
on Southern Boulevard is something
he wants to address. He noted
that a strong successful BID could lead
to funding, which will hopefully help
beautify Southern Boulevard.
“We need to build confi dence in local
commercial corridors so that they
will meet the needs of the people who
live there,” he said. “The lack of diversity
with our small businesses is definitely
a result of things like Internet
shopping, the prices of rent going up
and the prices of labor going up. That
makes it very hard for ‘mom and pop’
businesses to stay afl oat.”
He has begun meeting with businesses
and hopes to establish a fi rm
presence in the community soon.
As neighborhoods in Brooklyn and
Queens are slowly being revitalized,
Burnett stressed it’s time for those in
the Bronx to do the same.
“If I can maximize the amount of
time people are spending in the commercial
corridor that is good for business
owners and that’s good for the
community,” he said. “The Bronx is in
a renaissance of organizing and getting
coalitions together.”
BY KYLE VUILLE
A notorious organization, often
viewed in a poor light, purchased a
Throggs Neck building recently to call
their new home.
According to social media and two
different sources, the Hells Angels,
one of the oldest motorcycle clubs in
America, has auquired 241 Longstreet
Avenue, near the Throgs Neck Bridge.
The motorcyle enthusiast’s insignia
is prominanantly displayed on the
building.
“They have a sign on the property.
I’m assuming they are using it in some
way,” Community Board 10 district
manager Matt Cruz said. “It looks like
they will be using this as their meeing
place.”
According to Hawkins Post 156
commander, Peter DelDebbio, the
6,000 square foot, 3-story brick building
was originally the headquarters
of the Theodore Korony American Legion
Post.
The American Legion Post sold the
property to a developer some ten odd
years ago, he said. The space had remained
vacant for years until the recent
transaction.
At one time 241 Longstreet Avenue
was part of the 19th century Wissman
Estate.
The huge Victorian building, with
a magnifi cent center hall fi replace,
housed a restaurant at one time and
was donated to the American Legion
The new headquarters of the worldl renowned Hells Angels motorcycle club sits at 241 Longstreet
Avenue. According to the NYC Department of Finance, the building was purchased for
$1,250,000 back in August. Photo by Kyle Vuille/Schneps Media
after WW II. The property was confi scated
by the U.S. government during
the war because it was suspected of
hosting Nazi sympathizers.
When the aging structure became
too expensive to maintain, the Korony
Post sold the property to a developer
that built the American Legion post a
brand new facility.
According to the NYC Department
of Finances the sales transaction was
reported on August 8, 2019.
Tishri Asset Management Corp.
sold the property to C.O.A. 241 Longstreet
LLC. The selling price is recorded
at $1,250,000.
The deed to the building was transferred
on August 28, 2019.
DelDebbio said he met with an affi
liate from the Hells Angels on Saturday,
December 9 to briefl y introduce
himself as a Bronx County American
Legion member. He also serves on
CB10.
“We met. I introduced myself, and I
offered an olive branch - he accepted,”
DelDebbio said. “So far, they proved to
be a good neighbors.”
DelDebbio added having the Hells
Angels in the community could be
double-edged sword.
“They could end up being possibly
the best neighbors,” DelDebbio said.
“As long as they’re quiet and respectful
and act as good neighbors.”
The Bronx Times spoke to three
neighbors on Longstreet Avenue who
chose to remain anonymous.
One homeowner said they had
spoke to several of the members and
has had no problems since they moved
in.
Another neighbor said they didn’t
know if they should feel scared or protected
having the club in the neighborhood.
The third individual complained
that the loud noise of the revved up motorcycles
was annoying.
Cruz in a later discussion extended
an invitation to the club encouraging
them to come to community board
meetings and other neighborhood
civic organizations.
“Like all community members,
we encourage them to be a part of our
tight-knit community,” Cruz said.
Miles Burnett, the new executive director of
the Southern Boulevard BID
Photo Courtesy Miles Burnett