Study on NYCFC Stadium design recommendations
Realtor claims buyer applied deception to acquire PPN site
BY JASON COHEN
The realty offi ce that sold the highly
controversial site of a proposed methadone
clinic in Pelham Parkway North
claims the purchaser applied deception
to acquire a Williamsbridge Road
property.
On Thursday, March 12, Sonny
Vataj, principle of Exit Realty, held a
press conference announcing the release
of public documents that detailed
the buyer’s controversial purchase of
2500 Williamsbridge Road.
In November 2019, Councilman
Mark Gjonaj, Assemblywoman Nathalia
Fernandez and Community Board
11 held a raucous town hall where
nearly 1,000 people expressed displeasure
with a methadone clinic coming
to the community, specifi cally because
of its close proximity to P.S. 89.
However, on Monday, February 17,
Carnegie Hill Institute purchased the
brick one-story property for $925,000
from Florence Klapper, a Manhattan
resident, $75,000 less than the original
asking price, under an alias.
“Why were we lied to?” Vataj exclaimed.
“Why was the community deceived?”
Vataj urged everyone to contact the
attorney general and OASAS (Offi ce
of Addiction Services and Support) to
block Carnegie Hill Institute’s licensce
application.
Vataj, who has operated the realty
on Allerton Avenue for 20 years,
hoped to bring transparency to the
community. With residents, activists
and business owners on hand, he explained
how the sale transpired.
On May 1, 2019 Exit Realty listed
2500 Williamsbridge Road for sale
with a $1 million asking price. There
were multiple offers, including Carnegie
Hill. A week later CHI went to
Community Board 11 to announce its
intent to use the property as a methadone
BRONX TIMES R 2 EPORTER, MARCH 20-26, 2020 BTR
clinic and was met with opposition.
The seller rejected the offer.
It was then relisted on the market
October 18, 2019 and an offer was accepted
for $925,000. WBRD LLC was
the listed buyer, but six months later
the property was fl ipped to CHI, according
to an ACRYS fi ling.
While residents commended Vataj
for releasing the documents, their outrage
was not assuaged. Community
Board 11 chairman Al D’Angelo feels
the community has been betrayed.
He’s convinced fraud took place and
hopes the NYS attorney general looks
into the matter.
“Obviously this is something I
would consider illegal,” he said. “CHI
should never be allowed in this community
again.”
Allerton Homeowners and Tenants
Association President Sal Castorino
is furious with Carnegie Hill’s deception,
but fully supports Vataj. Sal, a
lifelong resident of the area, attended
P.S. 89, which is across the street from
the planned clinic.
“We don’t like the idea that these
people tried to sneak into our community
with a drug place a few blocks
from a school and church,” he said.
“We don’t need that.”
Community activist Irene Estrada,
who organized two rallies against
the clinic on March 5 and March 10,
praised Vataj for holding the press
conference, but was incensed by CHI’s
trickery.
She called the sales contract a fraud
and asked where are the elected offi -
cials and how did they not know about
this.
“People don’t trust politicians anymore,
she exclaimed. “We’re tired of
being deceived. Our concern is that regardless
of how this happened everyone
needs to stand up and fi ght with
me.”
Exit Realty owner Sonny Vataj speaks at a press conference on March 12 where he released
the documents about the sale of 2500 Williamsbridge Road. Schneps Media Jason Cohen
BY JASON COHEN
With NYCFC reportedly nearing
an agreement for the development
of a stadium in the south Bronx, a
recent report outlined how it would
positively impact the community
surrounding the proposed stadium
site.
According to the New York Times,
“The team’s owners, in conjunction
with a group of local developers, are
nearing an agreement with New York
City that would allow the team to construct
a privately fi nanced, 25,000-
seat stadium in the south Bronx as
part of a development project costing
more than $1 billion.”
On Thursday, March 5, the Urban
Land Institute New York and
Community Board 4 Technical Assistance
Panel released: Neighborhood
Focused Strategies for Future
Growth, which includes recommendations
for stadium design and community
programming, increasing
use of public and alternative transit
options and improving neighborhood
walkability and connectivity to open
space and the waterfront.
“As the city continues to the move
forward with discussions of a NYCFC
stadium the community board
remains intent on ensuring that
the community at large plays an ac-
An aerial view of where the proposed stadium would go. Photo Courtesy ULI
tive role in the determination of how
city-owned property is utilized,” said
Paul Philips, CB 4 district manager.
The panel of real estate professionals
with development, design,
fi nance and legal expertise, studied
the site and interviewed a variety of
community stakeholders. Its recommendations
were broken into three
categories: Design and Programming;
Connectivity and Planning
for a Community-Focused Neighborhood.
More than Just a Stadium –
Design and Programming
The stadium could serve as a community
hub, a venue for health and
wellness programs, neighborhood
sports activity and much more.
Connectivity
Despite access to numerous transportation
options within the area,
congestion is a huge problem in the
area. It would be crucial to take steps
to encourage NYCFC fans to use public
and alternative transportation options
– including rail, bus, walking
and biking.
Community-Focused Neighborhood
Many people in the area continue
to drive due to the abundance of underutilized
parking lots and structures
and many shuttered businesses,
especially outside of Yankees game
days. However, with careful planning
and targeted zoning changes,
River Avenue could become a popular,
mixed-use corridor.
In September 2019, a survey conducted
by the 161st Street BID revealed
that 65 percent of the neighborhood
supported a stadium if it
included a female team, community
programing, had a dome for yearround
use and made the community
a shareholding partner.
Cary Goodman, the director of
the BID told the Bronx Times that the
people who did the study do not represent
the community.
He feels their assertion that people
in the poorest congressional district
want more access to the waterfront
is wrong.
Goodman said besides people
selling food in the stadium, this
wouldn’t bring jobs to the community.
He strongly disagrees with the
studies assertion that people in the
area don’t have access to the waterfront.
According to Goodman, in
his 11 years as director he has never
heard anyone say they can’t get to the
Harlem River. People are more concerned
about better schools and jobs.
“I don’t see anything that syncs
up with the dynamic that we discovered
in our survey,” Goodman said.