Van Cortlandt Motel in line to become a primary school

The longtime Van Cortlandt Motel — now home to an asylum seeker shelter — is being considered as a public primary school.

During a recent Community Board 8 Education, Libraries & Cultural Affairs Committee meeting, it was revealed the city’s School Construction Authority is in the middle of going through a public process for site selection that includes the motel property on Broadway.

The SCA is considering to build a school by 2028 or 2029.

Under the Public Authorities Law, the SCA is required to present new sites to the local Community Board and Community Education Council. A 45-day public comment period on the school site itself began on Oct. 3. and will end on Nov. 21. According to school officials, the Riverdale sub-district has a funded seat need of 451 seats for students as of February.

The SCA is proposing to build a new, approximately 547-seat Pre-K to 5th-grade primary school. The process will include a project analysis under the state environmental quality review act before going to the City Council for final approval to purchase the property.

While there are no official public designs for what the new school will look like, there were said to be estimates on what a play area and parking spaces would look like.

Some Riverdale residents who attended the education committee October meeting were pleased with the idea and thought the school would make a great addition to the neighborhood.

Chair of the Rob Spalter, chair of the Broadway Community Alliance, said when he and his wife, former CB8 chair and current board member Laura Spalter, first moved to Riverdale 56 years ago, something had to be done about the cheap motel commonly referred for its crime and prostitution record, so the neighborhood could benefit from this new change.

“We are in strong support of the school’s construction,” Spalter said. “Children will benefit greatly from being located across from Van Cortlandt Park, where they will be able to easily participate in many recreational, educational and environmental programs including the unique history of the enslaved peoples project sponsored by the Van Cortlandt museum.

“We believe, (the new school) could also help alleviate overcrowding from new state-mandated class size reduction, which will require additional classrooms further as a result of recent affordable housing construction.”

Deirdre Burke spoke on the possibilities the new school can bring to the district. She explained that back in 2019, all schools in the district were at overcapacity from 110 percent to 132 percent. She appreciates that the school can help prevent the issue from arising again.

“This school is a unique opportunity to get ahead of the problems that we have faced in the Bronx and in District 10 for at least 60 years,” Burke said.

While there is a demand for this school on Broadway, there are those who brought their concerns. At the most recent Education, Libraries & Cultural Affairs Committee meeting, individuals are worried for the children going to school in the area.

The location of the facility will be 700 feet away from The W Assisted Living at Riverdale. The W does help house people with mental illnesses. One of The W residents was caught on camera trying to break into community member Nanda Chavez’s home. Chavez and others at the meeting explained that it’s unwise to have the school be neighbors with the facility.

“I’m not quite sure if you folks [the committee] are understanding what it is to live over in this area,” Chavez said. “And let me add I’m continually cleaning up in front. There were condoms and liquor bottles that were picked up on a daily basis. Please understand the environment you’re trying to bring children into.”

Comments on the site can be emailed to sites@nycsa.org. Comments can also be mailed to NYC School Construction Authority Attention: Kelly Murphy 30-30 Thomson Avenue, Long Island City, NY 11101. For other questions on the ongoing project contact Nicole Holloway Manager, Executive Affairs nholloway@nycsa.org or call (718)-472-8046. To contact the education department, email Valeria Rojas Onfantas VRojasinfantas@schools.nyc.gov.