According to Capital New York, a homeless shelter may be opening in southern Carroll Gardens. Though the proposal for the 170-bed shelter at 165 West 9th St., which could open within weeks, has not been publicly announced, City Councilman Brad Lander is concerned with its substance and how clear the city will be on the approval process.

The neighborhood first learned of the potential plans on Oct. 4, via a terse one-page letter from Aguila Incorporated, a nonprofit that operates more than two dozen homeless shelters around the city via contracts with the D.H.S. The notification left many questions unanswered; for instance, how is the bidder planning to fit 170 people—single men, apparently—into the structure, a vacant 10-unit apartment building?
Originally designed as luxury condos by the notorious architect Robert Scarano, the project languished for nearly a decade, reportedly due to issues with the Buildings Department, which has since banned Scarano from filing permits due to alleged malfeasance. A certificate of occupancy was finally issued for the building in 2010, even as the surrounding stretch of Court Street filled with bakeries and bistros, driving up rents and sale prices.

A community meeting on this new development will be 24 October at 6:30pm, with a meeting place TBA.