Hoping to stop the former Calhoun School building at 160 West 74th Street (between Amsterdam and Columbus avenues) from becoming a homeless shelter, an UWS community group is appealing to the city to consider instead using it either for affordable housing or to resume its use as a school.
Advertisement
The Friends of the Upper West Side is arguing housing for low income families and individuals is more appropriate for the neighborhood. It’s also maintaining more schools are needed. The group sent a letter to Mayor Eric Adams and schools Chancellor David Banks this week lobbying City Hall to abandon the shelter plan and consider one of the two uses — affordable housing or a school. The proposal comes on the heels of an executive order issued Wednesday by Adams requiring city agencies to review city owned and controlled property for potential affordable housing.
“Look no further, Mr. Mayor,” said Friends’ director Terry Rosenberg, in the group’s press release. “This building is in great shape. It just needs some basic renovation, and it could be a wonderful home for many. In fact, Cushman & Wakefield (the real estate agency) last year marketed the building as ideal for housing. This is a win-win for the city, the neighborhood and hopefully, the new tenants.”
“As you have stated on many occasions, NYC’s future largely depends on affordable housing and education. We applaud your efforts to improve educational options for NYC families and also, to build more affordable housing to address this decades-long chronic problem threatening New York’s future,” the letter to Adams and Banks begins. “When the historic former Calhoun School building … was listed for sale by Cushman & Wakefield for market-rate housing, although we lamented the loss of a beloved school which has operated since 1897, we also understood the need for permanent housing.”
The historic red brick Calhoun School building, which housed its lower school, sits between Columbus and Amsterdam avenues. When the school announced plans to merge with the Metropolitan Montessori School in 2022, it was sold for $14 million to investment firm Bayrock Capital, which at the time talked about possibly developing it into market rate housing. That changed last year when the 23,000 square foot building was instead leased to the non-profit Volunteers of America, an anti-poverty organization that is working with the city’s Department of Social Services (DSS) to turn the building into a 146-bed women’s homeless shelter that is expected to open this fall. That change unleashed an uproar of opposition from the neighborhood and led to the creation of the Friends of the Upper West Side.
Advertisement
“Unbeknownst to anyone, it slipped into a shelter,” Friends’ President Jim Francis told ILTUWS of the switch from market rate housing to plans for a shelter. “It was all behind the scenes. There was a complete lack of transparency.”
The Friends say the shelter will cost taxpayers at least $79 million over nine years, though DSS could not immediately confirm that figure. Francis told ILTUWS he had a hard time getting details on the financial arrangement between Bayrock, Volunteers of America and DSS but did eventually get that figure after a lengthy search.
“We had to do some digging just to get it,” Francis said. “It wasn’t easy.”
The sum includes paying for the many social services the shelter’s residents will receive in addition to rent for the building.
Francis said Bayrock will get the building back after nine years and will be free to use it then as it wishes.
“They’re poverty profiteers,” Francis said of Bayrock. “They’re profiting off of homeless people. It’s disgusting. And it’s at taxpayers’ expense.”
On its website, the Friends call on area residents to join the fight to stop the shelter.
“We need your support to send the message that the UWS needs more schools and more permanent housing, not more temporary shelters,” the website states. “With your support, we can send a message to City Hall that shady shelter deals without community support are unacceptable.”
“As long-time Upper West Siders, Friends of the UWS welcomes diversity and inclusion and believes a much better use of the building would be to utilize it as much needed affordable housing or as a school,” stated the group’s press release.
In response to the Friends’ letter to Adams and Banks, a DSS spokesperson by email told ILTUWS that the mayor’s executive order, to encourage the creation of affordable housing, was not intended to conflict with ongoing efforts to provide a safety net to the city’s vulnerable populations, including the planned shelter.
“The mayor’s directive does not apply to the very resources the agency is charged with creating to ensure the city has a robust social safety net,” the DSS statement read. “We cannot trade between critical safety net resources for vulnerable New Yorkers and affordable housing which are both vital to ensuring that we are able to effectively address the citywide challenges of homelessness.”
It went on to point out the shelter will be the first in the neighborhood just for women.
Advertisement
“This high-quality shelter will be the first of its kind in this community to offer women experiencing homelessness critical safety net and rehousing supports to help them get back on their feet and transition to permanent housing. Emergency transitional housing is fundamental to our mission to positioning vulnerable New Yorkers for long-term housing stability as shelter staff facilitate connections to lifelines like rental assistance, public benefits, and healthcare,” the DSS statement continued. “We are grateful for the support of communities that help us stand ready to honor the city’s moral obligation to provide immediate shelter to New Yorkers in dire need of stable settings and services. Our efforts have helped increase permanent housing placements from shelter by 20% year over year as we invest in innovative housing solutions to strengthen access to deeply affordable housing opportunities for shelter residents.”
In additional to providing temporary housing the shelter will offer a variety of transitional services to the women it will serve to help get them back on their feet and into permanent housing. This will including counseling, life skills workshops, support groups, housing placement assistance, health care services, legal services, vocational training and help finding employment and more.
“Another crowded temporary shelter is not the answer!” the Friends posted on its Facebook page. “NYC’s future depends upon more education and affordable housing, not more shelters.”
DSS is still eyeing a fall opening date for the shelter but Francis said one look in the buildings’ windows shows that’s unrealistic.
“It’s nowhere near being ready,” he said. “No way it’s going to be ready in the fall. Demolition just started.”
Oh, you mean the racist NIMBY liars who have been running Facebook ads claiming they’re shutting down a school? We can safely ignore anyone who would be so dishonorable, all in the name of denying homeless people a place to live.
Do your due deligence!
According to a conservative estimate / it’s $300 a day per person with additional services extra paid to developer!
Do you currently live on the such a block and/or prepared to deal with 150 persons with mental issues requiring 24/7 monitoring by 65 security cameras; 5 security guards + supervisor of security?
I highly doubt they will be chaperoned once they leave the shelter.
Also – I wrote in my comment issues not emphasized so far / tourist dollars; Historic District; financial investment by residents who want to live in a decent neighborhood.
There are plenty of other sites
DO read my comment so as not to repeat.
Thank you
Do your due diligence !
It was an investment decision / conservative estimate $300 per night per person – additional “services” extra!!
Do you already or are you ready to live on the same block as 150 persons requiring 24/7 monitoring by 65 security cameras; 5 security guards+ 1 supervisor of security?
Surely not will there be chaperoned once they leave the premises.
Why is there no mention that we are Central Park Historic District – economically viable by tourism and residents that care about living on a nice block (and paying for it).
I was the whistle blower back in mid December’23 because of the intentional clandestine way CB 7 meetings were never posted.
In fact when the shocked attendees questioned – a very rude condescending male official (on record thanks to YouTube) shamed them that it is citizens’ duty to check the website (while such meetings are posted at every intersection).
There is another issue – the rendering of the front entrance approved by LPC only shows photos of other institutions with chairlifts. I have yet to get an answer regarding.
If it is to become a shelter at least give us some dignity – it is possible to make an entrance from basement level below – on both sides of the beautiful stair case adorned by marble columns -then connect to elevator.
We detest the lack of future vision as espoused by the late Jackie Kennedy who instituted landmark districting after the grand Penn Station was demolished.
As a resident of the block it is surely the case of fear of “woke” as well as the city’s blind willingness to pay at least $300 per person per night – w/additional extra services tacked on. (Hope accounting will soon be exposed).
There are plenty of empty spaces/buildings along West Side Highway, and what about docking retired cruise ships on our empty piers?
We take pride for our block for parades, entry points for the Thanksgiving festivities, providing parking for families of Civil Servants during events at the Beacon Theatre.
In addition to hundreds of tourists passing through daily by paying homage to the original Levain Bakery, we accommodate many tv and filming used for our picturesque block.
Finally when we recently contacted Columbus Ave Business District and were shocked to be told that we are not part of their jurisdiction (?!).
A vision of the future is being sacrificed by short term gains by unscrupulous developers and the fear of the “woke”.
FYI LPD and Landmark West – these appointed as arbiters of the future vision approved the project and treated us with disdain.
Thank you
I was interested and reading your response until you felt the need to write “woke” in parenthesis twice. I wonder what your definition of woke is. You seem to be insinuating that showing compassion toward others is somehow a trait to be frowned upon. Look, it’s fine to disagree, but here’s some advice: You may find people are more receptive to what you have to say when you refrain from revealing your obvious disdain of those who happen to have a conscience.
1. It is your unfortunate interpretation that I show disdain for those who care.
2. “Woke” was specifically used to widely describe the sentiment that appear to be backfiring, at times ruining our communities, etc.
3. Just be in our shoes – being inconvenienced by those profiteering from “poverty”.
4. Where exactly do you live?
5. Historiic Districts were created by those with vision for the future.
Disgusting NIMBY nonsense. I mean, wanting people to enter through a basement entrance if it gets built? Seriously? “Residents want to live in a decent neighborhood.” Nothing is threatening the “decency” of the neighborhood! You and I both live in an incredibly safe and rich neighborhood, and there are much more pressing problems in the city than what mildly inconveniences us. Completely out of touch and ridiculous.
There is a nine-floor women’s shelter being built on west 59th already…
59th street has long been a mixed use commercial district, and definite NOT landmark historic district.
Rather than destroy an established residential area (not to mention landmarked) – it is feasible to build a shelter in such an area from an employment and economic standpoint.
Further west along the highway there are plenty of empty spaces and buildings.
Or – expand the footprint on w 59th st property if possible and even add more floors.
I am certain the zoning is more accommodating in that area – if super skyscrapers are being built on “billionaire’s row” why not??
I support this plea that this building on the Upper West Side be used for truly affordable housing. FInding shelter spaces is also important. But the need for housing for lower- and middle-class people is urgent. Urgent that we not add more people to the sad statistics of homeless people with or without families. Either situation is intolerable. Thank you.
Judy Samuels
Longtime Upper West Side resident
Yes – affordable housing is what Ms. Gale Brewer had proposed since 12.’ 23.
Shelter necessitates the front of a Landmarked Historic District to be altered to look like jail.
Let’s preserve our heritage with a vision for the future vs. the greed of unscrupulous developer who don’t even live here or in the country I was told.
We ALL deserve respect –
If the building was turned into an apartment building, they’d protest that, too. They just don’t want poor people and minorities around.
FYI –
A correction is in order re: the “demolition phase” as stated in your article.
8/8/24 According to Wynter Schnell – Community Liason for Linda B Rosenthal 67th Assembly District – construction is beyond demolition.
We inquired about the validity of permits when cinder blocks and steel frames were brought in early August.
Also – “Daniel”: we have plenty of minorities and “poor people” (your words) residing in the area.
Our Historic District block is reticent about a sudden influx of 150 temporary residents with mental issues
packed into a rather small space and that they require 24/7 monitoring by 65 cameras; 5 security guards and a supervisor of security.
Residents of affordable housing will be fewer in numbers; more long term and committed to being good residents as we have strived to be.
A correction is in order:
We have observed cinder blocks and steel frames brought into the site in early August.
Ms. Linda Rosenthal’s office verified that they have all the permits beyond “demolition”.
Since the “lobbyists” are away on vacation we have notified them on 8/9/24 by e-mail.
And Daniel- we have plenty of minorities and “poor people” (your words) in the area. Just that affordable housing will bring fewer people (cs. 150 that require high security!) and most importantly committed to the neighborhood as we have all strived over the years.
Last I looked, beyond complaints about this conversion and a request for donations, the Friends of the Upper West Side website was real sparse. Example: There was NO contact information. Seems like a recipe for fraud.
The below was sent to VOA’s Executive Leadership for the greater NY area on 10/19:
Bayrock Capital is owned by the Bayrock Group, whose owner is Turkish citizen Tevfik Arif. The U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence has laid out several accusations against Mr. Arif: “Information obtained by the committee suggests he was involved in Russian organized crime, money laundering and human trafficking dating back to at least 2000.”. A lot of information re: Mr Arif is easily available online, all with similar accusations.
I strongly urge you to reconsider your involvement and take immediate steps to remove your association from this project.I’m sure you agree that it is crucial that we ensure our efforts contribute positively to the community and do not inadvertently support criminal entities.