Parks Department’s Castro and Borough President Brewer and Council Member Chin are marshaling their resources to find an alternative storage site and to remove the container and repurpose the building to positive and active use.
Borough President Brewer is looking for sites throughout Manhattan (this holds storage for all of Manhattan parks) – she is awaiting Parks response to her question about what capacity is needed to replace the current facility.
Parks Department has strongly clarified their desire to move storage out of the building and recapture it for more park-like and community use and to remove the container that sits alongside the building (which the police would like out as well). And Council Member Chin and MBP Brewer are using their offices to move us forward.
Everyone wants the container out. It creates areas that become hiding places for negative use.
Bad news:
Uptick in drug dealing and aggressive behavior in the park.
If you feel endangered or see something dangerous please call 911.
If you see something that is simply a problem or have a complaint call 311.
Good news:
Several meetings across agencies and providers and police have taken place. Everyone understands the situation in SDR Park requires us to take more active steps.
The 5th Precinct, Parks Enforcement and Homeless Outreach workers are coordinating their efforts on a daily basis to ensure the safety of park-goers.
The Commissioner for Manhattan Parks Department Castro is actively involved.
