NYC Mayor Eric Adams sits down for an interview with Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum. (Fox News/The Story)
Meanwhile, the New York Post reported that it will cost the city between $250,000 and $340,000 to retrofit and prepare a 275,000-square-foot former office building in the Bronx to accommodate the expected thousands of men who will live in the new migrant shelter.
The shelter’s location – 825 E. 141st St. – was renovated in 2017 and is near an infamous section of the Bronx called "the Hub," which is known for having a high volume of open drug use and activity, including the use of heroin and fentanyl. The building is owned by SoBro Local Development Corp., a nonprofit that’s stated mission is to "enhance the quality of life in the South Bronx by strengthening businesses and creating and implementing innovative economic, housing, educational, and career development programs for youth and adults."
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Adams’ announcement was not taken well by many Bronx residents. Many of the migrant shelters in the city have earned reputations as centers for violence, crime and gang activity from the likes of the international criminal group Tren de Aragua. The New York Post reported one 21-year-old Bronx resident named Serene Bilal saying: "Wrong move!… You need to work with the people already here. We have issues going on. Why the Bronx? Why pick on the Bronx?
"It’s going to be dangerous," Bilal told the outlet. "We don’t know who these people are. We are not talking about 10 people. We’re talking about thousands. That’s a lot."
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Congressman Ritchie Torres speaks during a press conference in the Bronx on Jan. 17, 2022. (Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Torres, who is rumored to be considering a run for New York governor, also slammed the decision to place the new shelter in the Bronx.
"Instead of decisively dismantling open-air drug markets in the Hub, the City is treating the South Bronx as a dumping ground for an endless stream of shelters," Torres told Fox News Digital.
"The Bronx is treated differently from the rest of the city," he went on. "We are treated as the second-class borough of New York City."
Fox News Digital reached out to Adams’ office for comment but did not receive a response.
Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.
Peter Pinedo is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/new-york-open-massive-new-2200-bed-migrant-shelter-single-men-bronx