North Brooklyn activists hope to buy Williamsburg’s Swingin’ Sixties Senior Center in an attempt keep the under-funded community facility open.
The Conselyea Block Association, which runs the facility, has teamed up Williamsburg-based non-profit housing developer St. Nick’s Alliance in a bid to acquire the building after the city cut funding for both the senior center and a children’s day-care at the site last fall.
“We are looking at how to purchase the buildings and how to support the programs,” said Janice Peterson, a founding member of the Conselyea Block Association and a member of Community Board 1 — which hosts its monthly meetings at Swingin’ Sixties. “There is some hope.”
Peterson said the coalition is currently negotiating with the landlord and is prepared to pay about $4 million for the building, which accommodates up to 110 seniors and 160 pre-schoolers.
Most of that money will be provided by St. Nicks.
“We have the wherewithal to undertake the purchase as well as the acquisition,” said St. Nick’s executive director Michael Rochford. “What we want is for the community to become the owner of the building.”
St. Nick’s is also working with the Conselyea Block Association to draft more precise applications to submit to the Department for the Aging and the Administration for Children’s Service — which last year rejected the association’s requests for funding after both implemented more stringent application processes.
Councilwoman Diana Reyna (D–Williamsburg) won both programs a temporary reprieve after the city nixed their bids, giving them more time to resubmit applications for cash. For now, both are operating under the terms of their previous contracts.
Reach reporter Danielle Furfaro at dfurfaro@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260-2511. Follow her at twitter.com/DanielleFurfaro.
