A Manhattan judge on Monday gave city officials the green light to open a controversial homeless shelter in the ritzy “Billionaires’ Row” neighborhood. State Supreme Court Justice Alexander Tisch rejected arguments from the West 58th Street Coalition and other opponents that the former Park Savoy Hotel doesn’t meet current safety standards and is unsafe in case of fire. Last year, neighbors were blindsided when Mayor Bill de Blasio quietly sent letters to local officials that revealed his plan to turn it into a shelter for 150 homeless men, sparking the suit against the city. The West 58th Street Coalition’s lawyer, Randy Mastro, said the group was “disappointed in today’s decision and plans to pursue an immediate appeal.”GET THE FOX NEWS APP“This unsafe building should not be permitted to operate as a homeless shelter,” Mastro said. “Placing the homeless in this building puts their lives at risk, as well as the lives of staff, neighbors and firefighters responding there.”Social Services Commissioner Steven Banks said that “we will begin serving our neighbors in need at this location as soon as possible.” He also called Tisch’s decision “a win for hard-working New Yorkers experiencing homelessness who will have the opportunity to get back on their feet at a high-quality, employment shelter.”This report originally appeared in the New York Post.

Source: Fox News April 30, 2019 04:27 UTC