A tent camp planned for Orchard Beach that was intended to house asylum seekers is being moved to Randall’s Island, the mayor announced Monday night.
The move came after mounting concerns that the Orchard Beach parking lot was susceptible to flooding.
“Following this weekend’s storms, New York City Emergency Management determined that, while we would be able to put in place the necessary ponding mitigation measures, relocating the Orchard Beach humanitarian relief center to Randall’s Island is the most efficient and effective path forward, and work is underway to make this move,” Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement. “This new location is less prone to flooding, is closer to public transportation, and will provide temporary respite to 500 asylum seekers.”
The “Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Centers,” or HERCs, were intended to help alleviate some of the stress on the city shelter system as asylum seekers continue to arrive on busses from southern states.
The Orchard Beach location was the first of several tent camps the city is planning, officials said last week.
Both Republicans and Democrats had harsh words for the plan.
“Once you get here, you’re a New Yorker and you’re welcome to the rights and responsibilities of New Yorkers which includes the right to housing,” said Christine Quinn, the former New York City Council Speaker who now leads Win, one of the city’s largest shelter providers.
Bronx community leaders, veterans and clergy members held a press conference at the parking lot Monday, criticizing Mayor Adams for putting migrants in what they believe are inhumane conditions.
“Now they are being processed here in the parking lot of Orchard Beach in the freezing cold and puddles,” added Michael Rendino, the chair of the Bronx Republican Party. “It’s not fair to them, it’s not fair to the people of the Bronx.”
