Assemblyman William Colton (D—Gravesend, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach and Dyker Heights) and Councilmember Susan Zhuang will hold a press conference at the site of the proposed homeless shelter at 86^th Street and 25^th Avenue on Sunday, February 11, 2024 at 3 p.m.

The press conference is being called to alert the public that the developer of the site, Tejpal Sandhu of 86^th Street NY LLC, commenced work on a construction fence on the city sidewalk, and when workers were unable to produce a permit for that particular construction, the work was stopped, and the posts that had been installed were removed.

Assemblyman Colton was alerted to the construction by neighborhood residents. “I am outraged that they began this work, without being able to show their permit, on a weekend, when construction such as this is prohibited without special permission,” he said. “Even worse, they disrespected area residents by beginning construction on the first day of the Lunar New Year, when many Asian people are celebrating, which also happens to be the Jewish Sabbath. Even so, we were notified by angry residents.”

Sandhu has filed papers with the city’s Department of Buildings to construct a 32-room hotel with a community facility attached; this the city has said it plans to use as a shelter for 150 single men, many of whom struggle with addiction or mental health issues. While a demolition permit was approved, a subsequent permit was disallowed.

“We said we would watch them closely, and we are,” Councilmember Zhuang said. “It will be a long, hard fight but I am confident that we will win it.”