The proposed 11 story then reduced down to 6 story building on Riverdale Avenue at West 238th Street that has been left in an eyesore condition ever since the demolition was halted This was over six months ago. Local merchants were bullied at a recent Community Board 8 Economic Development Committee meeting by some local residents who want nothing from Monteforoe to be built on the site of the old DJ Drug store.
The proposed 11 story medical center with parking was introduced at the October 2013 Community Board 8 Land Use meeting. Montefiore came in with guns blazing that they had the 'as of right' to build an 11 story medical center complete with parking. Local elected officials State Senator Jeff Klein and Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz pushed through a bill in Albany forcing a community review process for Bronx Only medical centers higher than three stories or larger than 30,000 square feet in size. This along with strong local residents opposing the proposal had Montefiore come back in September 2014 with a new smaller 6 story proposed medical center.
Since the demolition ended in early 2014 there was an ugly scaffolding that was still up in front of the proposed site, even though no more work was being done on the site. The scaffolding was removed in December of 2014 and the demolition work and what was left now was visible to everyone. The owner of Salvatore's of Soho directly across the street from the Montefiore site has said that 'It now looks worse than before'. He is wondering if anything will be built on the site because he has a sidewalk cafe. Once the weather gets better in a few months people may not want to sit across from such an ugly view he said.
Above - Is a photo from where the sidewalk cafe for Salvatore's of Soho would be if it was nice warm weather. Would you want a view like this?
Below- Another photo of what has been left, graffiti on the wall, braces holding up walls, and an ugly veiw in general.
