Here's the formula to ruin a neighborhood. Place a methadone
clinic, an OTB parlor, and a bar near a housing development, and
voila: instant flight by respectable homeowners in the vicinity
and a deterioration of the quality of community life.
That's what happened to Stapleton, Staten Island, in the early
1970s, and it also happened to East 23rd Street in Manhattan. The
latter neighborhood, however, managed to recuperate much faster
than the Stapleton community, which has struggled for the past 30
years to turn things around. Now a major New York City developer
is threatening to undo the hard work of community advocates by
pushing a controversial plan to build 105 apartments for
low-income seniors right smack in the middle of the business
district.
No, this is not a complaint along the lines of NIMBY - Not in My
Backyard. This is a protest against the total disregard for the
residents and homeowners of a neighborhood that has long been
burdened by endless dumping of social-service agencies on its
doorstep.
Looking for a home for parolee counseling? There's one on Van
Duzer Street, right across the street from an AIDS service
agency.
Three blocks away is a shelter for battered women. Then, of
course, there's the methadone clinic in Tappen Park, which also
has the unofficial social-service agencies of Off-Track Betting
and a bar.
Most of these are worthwhile enterprises, but their clients come
principally from other areas and boroughs, and they're all lumped
into a neighborhood that is just now living up to its
possibilities.
New businesses are cropping up around Bay Street. Mayor Bloomberg
has expressed interest in developing the waterfront for a mix of
housing, retail, and parks. The Navy came and went in the
mid-1990s after pouring millions into dredging the waters, so
that large ships could berth there. The Navy gave the Home Port
back to the city, and it has immense potential for development.
BFC Partners wants to build on an underutilized parking lot on
Bay Street, across from the old Paramount theater. That would
jeopardize the future of the business community, which can
provide necessary jobs for the youth of Stapleton. The question
is, why this particular spot?
There are abandoned warehouses and stretches of land along
Richmond Terrace, which would be better suited for the
development of low-income housing. This particular area of
Stapleton was once a thriving business district with antique
stores, clothiers, and jewelers. The parking lot is an essential
draw for businesses to relocate there, and, should the waterfront
projects come through, it would be vital.
Donald Capoccia, the builder behind the senior housing proposal,
is a Bush appointee to the federal Commission of Fine Arts, who
quit the post over the president's support of a constitutional
amendment banning gay marriage. He has close ties to Rudolph
Giuliani and to moderate Republicans in state government.
According to the Staten Island Advance, Tracy Paurowski, a
spokeswoman for the New York City Housing Development
Corporation, said her agency was reviewing the details of Mr.
Capoccia's Stapleton proposal and considering helping finance the
project through tax-exempt bonds. I thought the city was broke.
Staten Island is the smallest borough of New York City, and it
already has several high-caliber senior residences, including a
private residence that opened in Stapleton a few years ago. Why
do we need another, which is expected to cost a senior from $632
to $812 a month in rent? That may sound like a great bargain, but
it just doesn't compare with what seniors here already enjoy.
I visited an elderly friend of mine after she moved into the New
Lane residence in Rosebank. That residence is run by the city,
and I was amazed at the comfortable accommodations my friend
lives in, for $250 a month. She has a one bedroom,
air-conditioned apartment with a view of the waterfront. She pays
$1.35 for meals in the community cafeteria and was given space to
grow her private garden. There are a multitude of activities for
her enjoyment, including a well-supplied art center.
I live in Stapleton. I'm fortunate to have moved here 26 years
ago - when it was considered a risky venture - because my house
was a real bargain. In recent years, artists have moved into the
area, and now we have coffeehouses and pubs with atmosphere. A
Victorian gift shoppe serves tea and sells period dolls and
sundries. Houses are being restored by residents taking advantage
of low refinancing rates. The bloom is on the rose.
The residents have put all their eggs in the basket called
Stapleton, and it's a shame that a hot-shot developer can come in
and wreck their investment with an ill-conceived project.