The controversial migrant camp at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn The decision will remain in place for the next year, The Post has learned.
The National Park Service, which oversees the historic former airfield off Flatbush Avenue, notified city officials Friday that it had agreed to the Adams administration's request for a lease extension to continue operating the 2,000-bed tent city.
The original lease was set to expire on Saturday.
“This extension request was thoroughly reviewed and is a response to New York State’s continued emergency declaration,” wrote Jennifer T. Nersessian, superintendent of Gateway National Recreation Area, part of the National Park Service.
“As custodians of this site, visitor access, public safety and the preservation of natural and cultural resources are our top priorities,” he said. “Our team has worked to ensure that Floyd Bennett Field remains accessible to the public during the lease and will continue to do so for the lease extension.”
Because Migrant shelters were set up, Residents of Marine Park, Rockaway and other adjacent communities in Brooklyn have complained that the new arrivals are increasing shoplifting, begging, gutter scams and other unsavory activities in their neighborhoods.
“The people who live in the Rockaways and (southern) Brooklyn have been very clear on this: They do not want a shelter at Floyd Bennett Field,” Councilwoman Joan Arriola (R-Queens) fumed upon learning of the expansion.
“I will continue to find ways to reverse the shelter-city situation and end the migrant crisis. We cannot pour taxpayer money into a failed project that puts New Yorkers at risk and diverts vital city funding away from those who need it most.”
Governor Hochul agreed last year to have the state pay the city a $1,733,750 monthly lease to run the tent shelter, while the Big Apple remains responsible for the cost. $625,000 annually for buses Taking migrant students to schools away from transportation problems.
Last week, dozens of activists, politicians and other upset New Yorkers rallied outside the massive shelter to stop the lease extension. The protest involved a caravan of over 30 vehicles And it was the latest in a series of protests against refugee camp,
Paul Martinka
The former airport had become a hotbed of unrest Police said incidents of violence have increased, including a home invasion in December, the recovery of a gun and multiple arrests in connection with the attacks.
In January, the number of migrants, including children, increased. They had to be removed from the site for a while Dangerous winds in the middle of the night raised the risk of tent collapses or deadly flooding.
Despite local outrage, City Hall has said temporary shelters are needed to accommodate the new arrivals, as more than 214,000 migrants have come to New York City over the past two years.
Providing housing and other services to migrant arrivals has already cost city taxpayers more than $5 billion.
