Shelter Plans For Ex-UWS Calhoun School ‘Problematic,’ Brewer Says

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY - Plans to convert the site of the former Calhoun School into a 150-bed women’s shelter are “problematic” and has left local officials with “many unanswered questions,” New York City Council Member Gale Brewer said Wednesday.

“Big $ investment to convert historic school into homeless shelter,” Brewer, who represents the Upper West Side, wrote via X. “Should become permanent affordable housing instead.”

Investment firm Bayrock Capital bought the 127-year-old school building at 160 West 74th St. over the summer for $14 million, with initial plans aimed at turning the site into a five-story upscale residential building, according to reports at the time.

But in an unexpected turn of events, plans submitted last month instead announced the conversion of the school into a general population women's shelter run by the Volunteers of America of Greater New York. The shelter is slated to open this fall.

Volunteers of America runs several other sites in the neighborhood, including Rose House at 305 West 97th St., Booth House at 340 West 85th St. and Regent Family Residence at 2720 Broadway.

The new facility will provide case management, connections to mental health services, legal counsel, housing placement assistance, individual and group counseling and job training, among other services, sources familiar with the plans told Patch. Bayrock Capital will serve as both the owner and developer.

The city's Department of Social Services and the Department of City Planning selected the location based on a series of "data-driven" decisions, sources said.

“This high-quality transitional housing facility will provide women experiencing homelessness the critical opportunity to receive the quality care and supports they need to get back on their feet and ultimately transition to permanent housing," a DSS spokesperson told Patch in an email.

"Transitional housing programs like this are vital to helping vulnerable New Yorkers stabilize their lives as case managers work to address their unique needs while making essential connections to rental assistance and other housing supports, and we need every community to come together to address the citywide challenge of homelessness," the agency added.

But not all Upper West Siders are unequivocally on board with the change of plans.

A representative from Brewer's office told Patch the plans are problematic due to a purported lack of transparency from city planners, as well as unanswered questions surrounding how the landmarked building will be preserved and whether a temporary shelter is the best use of the space.

“We heard about this at the last minute,” Brewer's representative said, adding, “when we ask, we don’t get any information ... it’s problematic when there are obvious red flags and we don’t get any information about what’s going on.”

Documents provided to Patch show the council member's office was notified of the plans on Dec. 14, the same day that the local community board was notified. A Dec. 18 letter from Brewer to NYC Department of Social Services Commissioner Molly Park requesting additional information about the plans — including how the plans to convert the site into residences changed so suddenly — has also gone unanswered, the rep said.

"If the city is going to make it into a shelter, they have to tear up the inside, as it's a school. So if they're going to do that, they should make permanent affordable housing," Brewer told FOX5 NY earlier this week.

Residents at the community board's Jan. 2 meeting also voiced concerns over aesthetic changes to the building, as well as its planned 24/7 operating hours.

"The street is very small, it's already crowded when cars are double parked," one resident said. "This building, which was the Calhoun School and housed students, [it] started at 9 in the morning and ended at 2 in the afternoon. It was a very different venue and a very different idea [of what the building is being planned for]."

The Landmarks Preservation Commission is slated to review the project Tuesday, including plans to build another three stories above the current site's terrace, sources said. A February Health and Human Services Committee meeting will address "programatic" and quality of life issues surrounding the new site.

A community advisory board for the site will also be formed in the coming months, West Side Rag first reported.

DSS noted the Volunteers of America will be providing on-site security around the clock around the site, with two security officers at the entrance and 65 security cameras across the grounds. There will be a minimum of four security staff per shift and a supervisor overseeing security staff at all times, the agency said.

The organization will also provide a 24-hour open line for the community to "provide feedback in a timely manner and to immediately address any concerns that may arise," DSS added.

"As we have always done, we remain committed to maintaining open lines of communication with the community and working collaboratively to support our vulnerable neighbors while addressing any concerns as they arise," the agency said.