RED HOOK — As the deadline fast approaches to prevent a city-funded day care's closure, Borough President Eric Adams is urging the city to take action.
Strong Place For Hope Day Care, at 595 Clinton St. in Red Hook, is a nonprofit day care that may be forced to closed after its landlord struck a deal to sell the building for $6.4 million, DNAinfo New York reported last month.
Leaders of the day care are hoping that Mayor Bill de Blasio and the Administration for Children's Services [ACS] will step up before time runs out.
Since the ACS holds the lease for the property, which expires in April 2017, it has the option to purchase the Clinton Street building at the $6.4 million price tag from property owner Jacbel Realty LLC.
But that decision needs to be made by March 25.
Strong Place for Hope Day Care "provides much-needed early childhood services and day care for parents in the Red Hook community," Adams said in his Feb. 26 letter addressed to ACS Commissioner Gladys Carrión.
"We are highly concerned about the future of this day care in light of the recent news that the building was in contract for sale," he wrote.
Adams, along with day care leaders and elected officials, is asking ACS to use its right of first refusal, which must be exercised before the March 25 deadline.
"The purchase of the property at $6.4 million will result in significant savings given the current asking rent of $1 million," he wrote. "As the new owner, ACS would be able to save Strong Place for Hope Day Care."
The ACS-contracted day care, currently serves about 100 students ages 2 to 5 years old from Red Hook, Carroll Gardens and surrounding neighborhoods.
The 22,000 square-foot space holds six classrooms, a library, multi-purpose room, a rooftop play area as well as a commercial kitchen, where meals are prepared for staff and students.
More than 1,600 supporters have signed a petition urging de Blasio to save the site from closure.
