Greenpoint
Lorven Pharmacy
Culture on the Cheap
REMINDER: 400 McGuinness Boulevard
Filed under: 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic
Although I have posted this before I am going to do so again: Monday, September 27 at 6:30 p.m. a hearing will be conducted at our very own Polish National Home regarding the proposed 200 bed homeless male intake center proposed for 400 McGuinness Boulevard (as seen above). Regardless of what your position on this decidedly controversial project may be, dear readers, I admonish each and every one of you to attend this meeting.
Hearing Regarding The Proposed Homeless Shelter at 400 McGuinness Boulevard
September 27, 2010 starting at 6:30 P.M. 6:00 p.m.
Polish National Home
216 Driggs Avenue
Brooklyn, New York 11222
Miss Heather
Comments
3 Comments on REMINDER: 400 McGuinness Boulevard
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rutila on
Mon, 27th Sep 2010 8:56 am
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eaglestreeter on
Mon, 27th Sep 2010 10:22 am
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missheather on
Mon, 27th Sep 2010 3:20 pm
This topic came up in discussion while dining with a fellow Greenpointer last weekend, and I suggested an ingenious solution: why not build the Islamic cultural center in Greenpoint and set up the shelter in the Financial District?
I am going to go to this meeting tonight, but before I do I could use some background. What exactly is the objection to this place? About two months ago, when the Greenpoint Hotel started booting people out, there suddenly appeared several clearly drug addled or mentally unbalanced individuals in the parks at the end of Franklin. One of them I’m now finding sleeping on various stoops on Eagle Street. Can someone explain to me how it’s better for property values, safety, whatever the hell the objection to this shelter is, to have homeless PEOPLE (let’s remember they are in fact people) living in our parks and sleeping on our stoops instead of in a shelter? The one guy sleeping on the stoops is deranged to the point I’ve watched him intentionally trip people and then start screaming at them. Before I get all pissed off and indignant at this meeting I want to make sure there’s some angle I’m not seeing.
@ eaglestreeter: to put it very simply (and this is an educated guess, given the people I have spoken to) the general perception is that Greenpoint was and still is a repository for stuff other people don’t want. Hence why TGE tried to build a power plant here, the waste treatment plant, etc. The sentiment seems to be not so much against homeless shelters (many people, myself included) are not adverse to having one in our community. Rather, it’s more a matter of “Why Greenpoint”?
You wrote: About two months ago, when the Greenpoint Hotel started booting people out, there suddenly appeared several clearly drug addled or mentally unbalanced individuals in the parks at the end of Franklin. One of them I’m now finding sleeping on various stoops on Eagle Street. Can someone explain to me how it’s better for property values, safety, whatever the hell the objection to this shelter is, to have homeless PEOPLE (let’s remember they are in fact people) living in our parks and sleeping on our stoops instead of in a shelter? The one guy sleeping on the stoops is deranged to the point I’ve watched him intentionally trip people and then start screaming at them.
I’m trying to keep an open mind and am definitely interested in hearing what these folks have to say before I render judgment. I am not going to lie to you: I am not exactly enthusiastic about the prospect of having a 200 bed homeless intake center a few blocks from my home (would anyone be, honestly)? I write this as someone who lived around the corner from the Greenpoint Hotel back when it was hoppin’ and cares not to see anything remotely similar to what I saw in my two years there ever again. I mostly have concerns as to exactly how this shelter is going to be operated, e.g.; will it allow drinking? I ask this because many of the people you and I are seeing (among other things) are clearly addicted to alcohol and are refusing shelter because they are not permitted to imbibe. Thus they elect to stay on the streets (which is their right) and/or are being rousted— repeatedly (and reputedly brutally)— by our city’s finest and thrown in jail for vagrancy. This does not strike me as being an effective policy for anyone involved. In this respect a “wet” shelter might, just might, be a good thing. Who knows? I doubt it could be any worse than the “program” we have in place right now (which is none).
On a related note (and lest you are not aware) a halfway house is being operated at 66-76 Clay Street. It is my understanding that if the residents therein fail one drug test they are kicked out. I’d wager these are the people you are seeing.
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