By: Ellen Cans
An heir to the Zabar’s gourmet grocery empire is opposing the opening of a proposed homeless shelter in the Upper East Side.
As reported by the NY Post, for more than a year now, Eli Zabar has been engaged in a court battle doing “everything possible” to stall the planned shelter at 419 E 91st St. Zabar owns the building next door at 420 E 91st St. using it to house a children’s gymnastic center. Records show that Zabar also owns 422, 426 and 429-433 East 91st St, beefing up his presence on the block. Zabar has refused access to his property for the construction, and is demanding that the shelter choose a “specific gender” to accommodate, as per the Manhattan Supreme Court lawsuit.
The homeless shelter has been stalled for over a year now, falling behind schedule mainly because of Zabar’s complaints, shelter owner 419 BR Partners LLC alleged in court papers. During an April meeting with developer 419 BR Partners, Zabar allegedly admitted that “he could not stop the project from taking place but would nonetheless do everything possible to delay”. At the meeting, Zabar allegedly asked for “frivolous” things, including that the Department of Homeless Services “limit the use of the building … to a specific gender only,” as per the suit. While it wasn’t clarified why only one gender and not specified which gender of shelter residents Zabar prefers, in general women’s shelters are known to be less violent than men’s-only shelters.
Zabar’s attorney, Daniel Schneider, said he was “not aware” of the meeting. In January, a judge had given Zabar a small victory, knocking 419 BR Partners for failing to submit plans addressing Zabar’s concerns about property damage stemming from the construction. “The issue in this case has nothing to do with what BR Partners is building,” Schneider said in an interview with The Post. “Rather, it has to do with BR Partners’ refusal to adequately protect its neighbors, specifically Eli Zabar’s building.”
The planned new seven-story “safe haven” shelter would be the first of its kind in the Upper East Side neighborhood. It would provide beds and support for 80 to 90 unhoused New Yorkers, a Department of Homeless Services spokesperson told The Post. Unlike most city shelters, at a “safe havens” residents are not required to leave during the day.
Zabar isn’t the only one who opposes the shelter. The community has been protesting against the proposed city funded shelter for more than a year. Opponents hold that the neighborhood has the lowest poverty and unemployment rates in the city, and doesn’t need a shelter in the center. They have raised concerns regarding the shelters’ close proximity to schools and child centers. A change.org petition, named “keep our children safe”, aiming to relocate the shelter out of the area, has garnered close to 4,000 signatures.
Zabar’s specialty market and appetizing store, at 2245 Broadway on 80th Street, was founded 88 years ago in 1934 by Louis and Lillian Zabar.