Neighbors in Pelham Bay say they were blindsided when city filings surfaced suggesting a vacant storefront near the Pelham Bay Park 6 train station could be turned into a homeless shelter. The address, 3251 Westchester Ave, sits just steps from the subway, and residents say petitions and flyers are now circulating through the neighborhood as people press officials for answers.
Permits, filings and earlier coverage
Earlier reporting in September 2025 flagged permit applications for a multi-story shelter at the site, with documents naming local developers and an architect on the filing. According to Bronx Times, those filings described a building with tens of thousands of square feet of community-facility space and showed demolition permits were submitted last summer.
Community board seeks a say
Bronx Community Board 10 has put the property on its agenda and urged the developer to meet with the board. Meeting notes say the board hopes a five-story proposal would be scaled down to two stories and that attempts to contact the developer have so far been unsuccessful. The board says it wants a public conversation before any approvals move forward, according to minutes published by Bronx Community Board 10.
Neighbors hand out flyers and start petition
A petition demanding community consultation has drawn hundreds of verified signatures and dozens of comments from neighbors raising safety and property-value concerns. The petition page lists several hundred supporters, and community advocates have handed out thousands of flyers urging residents to contact officials; see the petition at Change.org and local reporting by News 12 New York.
Councilmember weighs in
Council Member Shirley Aldebol told News 12 New York, “I believe that the Pelham Bay community within my Council District should not be considered for a proposed shelter.” She said the city should focus on affordable housing and pathways to homeownership rather than adding more shelters.
Department of Buildings records referenced in local reporting show an application at the address labeled “shelter,” but the DOB has not accepted the filing and no permits have been issued, according to that reporting.
What comes next
For now, the project appears to be in the very early stages: demolition permits were filed last year, but there is no announced construction timeline for a new building. Community Board 10 and local elected offices say they will continue to push for a public meeting and clearer answers as the city and any private developer consider next steps on the proposal.
