Old Gowanus building to become emergency migrant shelter for single adults
The building is in an area that the Department of Conservation has named as a place where “volatile chemicals” in the ground could potentially contaminate the surrounding air.
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City officials announced on Wednesday that an old Gowanus building will become an emergency shelter for single adult migrants.
The building at 130 Third St. will be a sanctuary site for up to 400 single adults. It will be under the supervision of BHRAGS Home Care, according to the Department of Social Services.
The building is in an area that the Department of Conservation has named as a place where “volatile chemicals” in the ground could potentially contaminate the surrounding air. The DEC is sampling the air in select buildings, including 130 Third St., but an owner needs to let them in – and the department hasn’t confirmed that that’s happened yet.
Michael Denis, a contractor and realtor in NYC, says he didn’t know anything about the soon-to-be shelter.
"The residents of the neighborhood and the community need to be involved,” sad Denis. “We need to have homeowners and the community speaking about this and maybe having an organized effort - we have to meet each other both ways."
News 12 asked 20 nearby residents about if they knew about the shelter – and only two had heard about it. One woman who declined speaking on camera says she lives in one of the buildings at risk of contamination and says it’s not much of a concern.
News 12 reached out to BHRAGS Home Care and is awaiting a response.
