Homeless advocates and community leaders were part of the group protesting the proposed $60 million facelift that would transform the former Park Savoy Hotel into a homeless shelter for single men.
The Hotel which was closed down for safety reasons was described by a spokesperson from the Committee for Safe Homeless Shelters as a disaster waiting to happen, with hallways that are too narrow, rooms with no sprinklers, and a small door that is the only exit from the building.
Roger Skallerup, a former Department of Homeless Services facilities director told the New York Daily News, "The most egregious of all the offenses is that the hotel only has one way out."
The city has promised to grandfather in stipulations that would allow the building to upgrade and improve the safety issues if the project is allowed to move ahead, to which Skallerup replied "You can't grandfather safety. It's unsafe. If it opens, someone is going to get hurt fast. This is a tragedy just waiting to happen."
The shelter idea has been unpopular with the neighborhood coalition since it was proposed by the De Blasio administration in February.
Photo Credit: Getty Images.