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Fire Safety Issues Delaying Construction at New South Bronx Wellness Center

By Eddie Small | December 11, 2015 5:31pm | Updated on December 13, 2015 5:47pm
 Fire safety issues have pushed back the opening of BOOM!Health's wellness center in the South Bronx by about six months.
Fire safety issues have pushed back the opening of BOOM!Health's wellness center in the South Bronx by about six months.
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DNAinfo/Eddie Small

MELROSE — Fire safety issues and the lack of a valid certificate of occupancy have pushed back the opening of a new South Bronx wellness center by about six months.

BOOM!Health has been working on transforming an old furniture store at 3144 Third Ave. into a building that would include space for an LGBT health center, an HIV/AIDS prevention program and a cafe that serves coffee and healthy food.

However, the Department of Buildings issued a vacate notice for the site on Nov. 19 due to inadequate fire safety equipment and the lack of a certificate of occupancy, according to DOB spokesman Alexander Schnell.

John Hellman, director of advocacy and communications at BOOM!Health, said that the nonprofit was working to resolve these safety issues and get a valid certificate of occupancy.

"There were issues with some of the fire alarms and sprinkler systems, so I think we wanted just to play it safe," he said. "In case there were any issues that required their use, we wanted to make sure that everything functioned correctly."

"We expect to be back in the building by early next year, and over the next few months, we’ll be able to resume construction," he continued.

Officials at BOOM!Health originally anticipated having the wellness center open by January but are now hoping to have it up and running by the summer, according to Hellman.

Callen-Lorde, a healthcare organization focused on serving the LGBT community, will run the building's LGBT health center on the first floor and is moving forward with construction on it as planned, as their renovation is happening separately.

That portion of the building should still be ready to open early in 2016, according to Callen-Lorde spokeswoman Caitlin Quigley.

In addition to the LGBT center, the Third Avenue building should also contain space for BOOM!Health's legal services, health coordination team, and HIV, Hepatitis C and sexual health prevention services.

Youths that BOOM!Health serves will work at the building's cafe as a way to help them get job experience.

Hellman stressed that the wellness center would still open in the South Bronx, albeit a bit later than BOOM!Health had hoped for.

"We just are temporarily out of there, but construction and renovation will still move forward," he said. "We’re just putting a brief hold on it for now."