With the stop work order lifted by the city’s Department of Buildings on the site of the proposed homeless shelter at 86^th Street and 25^th Avenue, Assemblyman William Colton (D—Gravesend, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach and Dyker Heights) and Councilmember Susan Zhuang (D— Bensonhurst, Bath Beach, Gravesend, Dyker Heights, Boro Park and Sunset Park) are warning the developer that elected officials and community members will be keeping a watchful eye on everything that transpires at the property.

Residents and merchants have been key to alerting both Assemblyman Colton and Councilmember Zhuang of developments at the site, which has resulted in work being stopped on more than one occasion. The developer violated the most recent SWO, which was issued in late April, by tearing it down and starting up work again just two days later despite the prohibition, resulting in new violations being issued. Previously, he attempted to do work on a portion of city-owned sidewalk right as Lunar New Year began, also the Jewish Sabbath – a Saturday when construction work like this is generally prohibited. On both occasions, he was stopped thanks to the vigilance of the community.

“This developer thinks he can get away with anything, but we keep proving him wrong,” said Assemblyman Colton. “Even though he now has permission to proceed, we will be watching carefully to make sure he follows every rule and protocol, and that the Department of Buildings follows through to keep him on the straight and narrow, while we continue to fight this costly, inhumane project, which will not only negatively impact the surrounding neighborhood but also the people it is supposed to be helping. It is the wrong project in the wrong location – in this case near homes, businesses, schools and religious institutions. Instead of building human warehouses, the city should focus on providing our homeless neighbors with permanent affordable housing and appropriate services so they can get their lives back on track.”

“This is about public safety for our children and families,” said Councilmember Zhuang. “Assemblyman Colton and I remain steadfast in our stance that a wet shelter cannot and must not be placed next to our schools, daycare centers and senior centers. I urge the city to reconsider before it is too late.” A wet shelter is a shelter where drugs are administered to residents with addiction issues in a controlled environment.

Opposition to the plan has been strong and sustained since the city announced last year that it planned to open a homeless shelter for 150 single men, many of whom struggle with addiction or mental health issues, at 2501 86^th Street. There have been numerous protests, including one last month at City Hall that drew thousands of protesters. In addition, some 53,000 people have signed a petition in opposition to the plan.

The developer of the site is Tejpal Sandhu of 86^th Street NY LLC, who was the developer behind the shelter originally planned for 2147 Bath Avenue that was defeated by ongoing community opposition led by Assemblyman Colton. According to Assemblyman Colton, the Sandhu Group makes a practice of building so-called hotels in unexpected locations then leasing them to the city at a cost of thousands of dollars per resident per month, all coming from taxpayer dollars. In this case, Sandhu has filed papers with the city’s Department of Buildings to construct a 32-room hotel with a community facility attached.

Assemblyman Colton and Councilmember Zhuang have been mobilizing and solidifying opposition to the shelter for months. In February, they launched a task force focused on stopping the homeless shelter from opening at the location.