Mary Mitchell Family and Youth Center (MMC) Proposal to the City of New York – 2011

Proposal -  The MMC has run programs at 2007 Mapes Avenue, Bronx, NY 10460, a property currently owned and managed by the City of New York’s Department of Education.  MMC acquired a property located at 2107 Mapes Avenue, Bronx, NY 10460 in 2006 with funds allocated from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.  The market value of 2007 Mapes Ave. is approximately $800,000 based on buildable square footage of 58,726 sq. ft. and the market value of 2107 Mapes Avenue is approximately $689,000.  MMC is in a position to pay demolition costs of approximately $200,000 to allow the City to easily integrate the 2107 Mapes Avenue property into the NYC Parks and Recreation land that surrounds it.  For the reasons stated below, we believe it is in the mutual interest of MMC and the City to make an exchange of these two properties to allow MMC to continue to operate its programs and for the City to reduce its operating and management costs.

Benefits to the City of New York –

·         Currently the DOE spends over $170,000 per year on security, custodial staff and maintenance of the building at 2007 Mapes Avenue.  The exchange eliminates these costs to the City.

·         2107 Mapes Avenue is the only property on a block that is otherwise a City park (180^th St. to 181^st St., Mapes Ave. to Prospect Ave.).  The exchange would allow the City to increase Parks land and make the park more usable by the community through funding already allocated to develop the baseball field.

·         Crotona is part of the poorest urban Congressional district in the country, all illness rates are higher here and we have seen an increase in violence (including a shooting witnessed by the children next to the backyard of the Center in November 2009).  The City will benefit from the continued and expanded programs provided by MMC (see program description) and by ensuring these services continue through MMC control of the building.

History – In the early 1970s Mary Mitchell had a lease from $1 from the City of NY on a building formerly located at 2007 Mapes Avenue that she used for youth programs.  The building was destroyed in a fire and she began a campaign to have the City build a new community center on the same property.  After she died, neighborhood residents continued her campaign.  We incorporated Mary Mitchell Family and Youth Center, Inc. under the not-for-profit corporation law in 1986 and obtained our recognition of tax-exemption soon thereafter.  The facility was built with funds from the Bronx Borough President and City Council in 1997 and named for Mary Mitchell and our organization.

For three years MMC entered into leases with the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS), on behalf of the City, at zero rent.  In 2000, DCAS transferred the building to the Board of Education (BOE, now the DOE) against the will of the MMC, assuring MMC that it was a good deal since MMC would not be charged for custodial or maintenance of the building.  DCAS and MMC agreed that MMC would use the building during after school hours up until 9pm and on the weekends from 9am-9pm without paying rent.

In July 2010, DOE breached this zero rent agreement and started charging the MMC to use the space.  Since then, the MMC explored options for taking ownership of the property.  To this end, MMC has met with several City officials.  At a meeting with Deputy Mayor Walcott we discussed MMC purchasing the property at 2007 Mapes Avenue at a DCAS public auction.  We considered this but ultimately rejected it for several reasons, including: 1) uncertainty about when the next DCAS real property auction will occur (the last one was several years ago); 2) a public auction means that MMC will have to bid against private parties that do not intend to use the property as a community center; 3) an auction is too risky for the MMC since we are unable to raise funds to acquire a property without knowing the price in advance or the day of the auction.  Instead, an exchange of our properties brings about the greatest benefit to the City, MMC and the entire Crotona community and surrounding neighborhood.

Development of MMC facility – In order to be able to make the exchange and be ready to assume the responsibilities of site control and management of the facility at 2007 Mapes Avenue, MMC will need to secure approximately $3 million.  These funds will be used to demolish the building at 2107 Mapes Avenue, make improvements to the current building and to cover the backyard of the Center to create an indoor gym, expanded kitchen and an ostentatiously green roof.  Cost projections are as follows:

Financial Support – We were able to purchase the building at 2107 Mapes Avenue in 2006 for $919,000 through HUD funding provided by Congressman Serrano.  We still have $200,000 in our HUD account for this project.  We have the Congressman’s continued support for the project but the Congress will not give earmarks for this year.  Our Councilman, Joel Rivera, has committed to funding the project over the next three years (FY’12, FY’13, FY’14) for a total of $1.5 million.  We are contacting other elected officials and our private funders for additional support.

Contact Information – For more information contact Heidi Hynes, Executive Director of the Center at mshynes@themarymitchellfyc.org, or office (718) 583-1765, cell (917) 402-4129.