There was a proposal by Carnegie Hill Institute for a drug treatment center at the vacant 2500 Williamsbridge Road site previously occupied by Eastern Abstracts. At the Community Board 11 Leadership Committee meeting of October 17th it was determined to have a Town Hall meeting on Thursday November 7th. The place to hold the Town Hall meeting would be the nearby Institute for Special Education located at 999 Pelham Parkway North.
On the way to the November 7th Town Hall meeting a couple of things happened. Certain people associated with one Community Board 11 member said not to worry that there would be no drug treatment center at 2500 Williamsbridge Road. Councilman Mark Gjonaj was quoted on October 25th "The Deal was killed" regarding the 2500 Williamsbridge Road site in a Bronx newspaper. Gjonaj was quoted again "Now they want to put it on Esplanade" referring to a long vacant Jewish Synagogue and community center at 2440 Esplanade Avenue. No official agenda for the Town Hall meeting ever went out from Community Board 11.
November 7th came with an estimate of 700 people attending on a rainy night. There had to be two sessions due to the capacity of 300 people. The outcome of the Town Hall meeting was that the 2500 Williamsbridge Road site was not going to Carnegie Hill Institute, and Councilman Gjonaj said that he wants to restore 2440 Esplanade to a community center. Since Councilman Gjonaj was quoted saying 2500 Williambridge Road was not going to happen weeks before, why was 2440 Esplanade all of a sudden added to the meeting, and why did the Town Hall happen if the property was killed weeks prior to the Town Hall. Why was the meeting not cancelled?
Upon checking with the District Manager of CB 11 his answer was that the community board was not notified of any change in 2500 Williamsbridge Road only to find out at the Town Hall meeting. He said 2440 Esplanade was a rumor to which the DM could not remember when the board was told, adding since there was no formal notice to the board. Also that the flyer with a different CB 11 member on it which I received at the board office was from a private citizen and not the community board.
UPDATE: After the Pelham Parkway Neighborhood meeting November 12th Councilman Gjonaj told me that CB 11 knew about 2500 Wiliamsbridge Road two weeks before the town hall meeting. Members of the community want to know why Community Board 11 held the Town hall meeting when they were told the outcome by Councilman Gjonaj two weeks ahead of the meeting?
