BRONX W www.BXTimes.com EEKLY December 15, 2019 2
Hells Angels buy former American
Legion property on Longstreet Ave.
Southern Boulevard BID introduces new executive director
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 defi nitely 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 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
.C
ruz 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.
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
Miles Burnett, the new executive director of the Southern Boulevard BID
Photo Courtesy Miles Burnett
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