Northeast
Blue city residents blast new 2,200-bed mega migrant shelter as 'dumping ground'
Furious New York City residents expressed their anger Monday after learning they were powerless to stop a massive 2,200 male-only migrant shelter from opening in their neighborhood, raising concerns that the new facility will make their community less safe, especially for women.
Animated residents vented their fury during a heated Bronx community board meeting, during which the mayor’s office told them the taxpayer-funded mega shelter will open next month at a 275,000-square-foot former warehouse, according to Fox 5.
The building will be retrofitted for between $250,000 and $340,000 in order to cater to the migrants, many of whom will be transferred from the sprawling migrant tent shelter on Randalls Island, according to the New York Post, citing city records.
Furious Bronx residents expressed their anger Monday after learning they were powerless to stop a massive 2,200 male-only migrant shelter from opening in their neighborhood. (Fox 5 NY)
NEW YORK TO OPEN MASSIVE NEW 2,200-BED MIGRANT SHELTER FOR SINGLE MEN IN THE BRONX
However, residents say they are frightened about the prospect of such a large influx of migrant men being housed in the community.
“I have young women who come to me to study. I have never been afraid in the South Bronx, I am now terrified,” Judy Kudlow, an artist who said she operates an art school directly across from the building said. “I’m terrified for me, for my students. I will have to move… You have made a terrible mistake.”
Another woman slammed the situation, saying that New Yorkers are living on the streets while migrants are being catered to in these types of facilities as well as hotels.
Community board member Audrey Dejesus said she empathized with the migrants but feels residents’ concerns are not being heard.
“I understand people need a place to be, and it’s getting cold and everything in the future, but we feel like it’s a dumping ground,” Dejesus told Fox 5. “We getting the jail right across the street, and now we’re going to get a 2,200 bed for homeless men. No. Think about women and families first.”
A building that will become a migrant shelter in the Bronx, New York City. (Google Maps)
The facility located at 825 E. 141st St. was renovated in 2017 and is currently owned by SoBro Local Development Corporation, a nonprofit organization that’s stated mission is to “enhance the quality of life in the South Bronx by strengthening businesses and creating and implementing innovative economic, housing, educational, and career development programs for youth and adults.”
The mayor’s office told Fox News Digital earlier this month that despite the new shelter being opened, they are planning to close 46 migrant shelters across the city and reduce the total shelter bed count by 10,000 by June. The city noted that the Hall Street shelter in Brooklyn, one of the largest shelters being closed, housed 3,500 migrants.
The mayor’s representatives at Monday’s meeting said many of the migrants have permits to work and will not be loitering around the facility.
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Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, a Democrat, said she wanted the site repurposed into a manufacturing facility to create more than 2,000 jobs.
She blasted the city for greenlighting the project before the community could discuss it.
Democratic New York City Mayor Eric Adams approved the new facility. (Luiz C. Ribeiro/New York Daily News/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
“The city hall administration owes us more than this meeting tonight and, as your borough president, I am firm in my opposition because this plan is misguided in the climate that we are working with today with a new administration in the White House. It is unacceptable that we would even consider moving forward in such a fashion,” Gibson said. “People often say, ‘If you build it, we will fill it,’ so don’t tell me that the population of single adult men in the migrant system is going down, and yet we are repurposing a building for 2,200.”
Diana Ayala, a Democratic councilwoman who represents parts of the Bronx and Manhattan, including where the shelter is set to open, said she recommended the new Bruckner Boulevard site, as well as other locations in the Bronx.
She said the migrants have a right to shelter and the city is legally obligated to house the migrants.
The Randalls Island shelter is closing, with migrants being transferred to the new Bronx shelter. (Jeenah Moon/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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“They can’t leave them out on the street, they can’t let them sleep on the street, unless they want to. They have to put them somewhere,” said Ayala, who praised the Adams administration’s handling of the crisis.
Meanwhile, Camille Joseph Varlack, the city’s deputy mayor of administration, said communication could have been better throughout the process.
“Clearly, communication could have been better before this shelter was sited, and we want to make sure that we work in partnership with you as we move forward,” Varlack said.
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NEW BRITAIN, Conn. (WTNH) — Hundreds of employees will be laid off from Stanley Black & Decker’s New Britain manufacturing plant on Monday.
The world’s largest tool company confirmed the closure of the New Britain plant in February with a wave of layoffs.
About 300 employees are expected to be laid off in five different waves. According to a company notice, the brunt of the layoffs is expected to occur between Monday and May 18. Approximately 287 employees are expected to have their positions terminated.
The plant on Stanley Drive produced “single-sided tape measures,” and Stanley Black & Decker said those aren’t in demand like they used to be.
Company officials said they’re supporting impacted employees by offering employment at other facilities, severance, and job placement support services.
The closure of the facility has sparked disappointment among state lawmakers, including State Rep. Dave DeFronzo (D-Conn.), New Britain Mayor Bobby Sanchez (D-Conn.) and former mayor Erin Stewart (R-Conn.).
They were built decades ago in some of the most picturesque spots across Maine — manmade mountains of granite and brick, concrete and steel, rising beside rivers that powered the state’s booming textile industry through the 1800s and 1900s.
Now, these old mills are increasingly being converted to housing and other purposes. In Biddeford’s sprawling mill district, a variety of housing projects have been completed or are underway, including 154 apartments in the former Pepperell Mill that are being leased or sold as condominiums.
Two of the most recent conversions are Picker House Lofts, a mixed-income rental property in Lewiston, and The Spinning Mill, a housing and commercial project in Skowhegan. Both opened last year.
The Spinning Mill, including 41 apartments, a boutique hotel and a restaurant, received a 2026 Honor Award from Maine Preservation for excellence in historic preservation and rehabilitation.
Here’s a look at those three mill conversions.
The Spinning Mill
Location: Skowhegan, Somerset County
Waterfront: Kennebec River
Year built: 1922
Year renovated: 2025
Number of units: 41
Monthly rent: $1,510-2,750, utility and amenity fees vary
In its peak years, the Maine Spinning Co. employed 300 people and produced 2 million pounds of wool yarn annually in the heart of the downtown district, closing in 2005. High Tide Capital of Bangor purchased the site in 2019 and began a $20 million residential and commercial redevelopment project.
The conversion suffered a major setback in December 2023, when the storm-churned Kennebec fooded the first floor, causing more than $3 million in damage. An economic recovery grant from the state helped the developers clean up and continue.
The adaptive reuse respected the building’s history, preserving wooden floors and high ceilings, oversized windows and exposed brick walls. Modern plumbing, electrical, heating and cooling systems were installed, along with stainless steel appliances and granite countertops.
The four-story building includes studio through three-bedroom units, ranging from 630 to 1,300 square feet. Amenities include a fitness center, mini movie theater, coworking space, resident lounge and art studio. The property also includes The Skowhegan, a 20-room boutique hotel, and the Biergarten, a German-themed restaurant and event space with riverside patio.
Contact: Yates Murphy, The Spinning Mill, 207-951-6475
Picker House Lofts
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Location: Lewiston, Androscoggin County
Waterfront: Androscoggin River
Year built: 1855
Year renovated: 2025
Number of units: 72
Monthly rent: $1,495-2,000 (26 market-rate units); $801-1,332 (46 subsidized); heat, hot water and basic Wi-Fi included
Part of the 7-acre Continental Mill complex, Picker House Lofts is a 79,000-square-foot, mixed-income rental property developed by The Szanton Co. of Portland. The remaining 481,000 square feet of former factory space is being developed to include more than 300 additional apartments along with office, retail and light industrial uses by Chinburg Properties of Newmarket, New Hampshire.
Named for its original function, the five-story building is where workers called “pickers” removed seeds, twigs and other debris from raw cotton before it was woven into cloth.
It includes one-, two- and three-bedroom units, with 46 reserved for households with incomes at or below 60% of the area median income, which ranges from $35,880 for a single person to $51,240 for four people, according to MaineHousing.
The developers preserved historic features where possible, including wood floors, huge operable windows and 13-foot ceilings with exposed overhead carrying beams, while adding modern fixtures, utilities and appliances.
Amenities include a fitness center, indoor bike storage, landscaped courtyard with picnic tables and a communal lounge with adjoining roof deck that overlooks the Androscoggin River. It’s located downtown near a farmers market, museums and a park with a fitness court.
Contact: Saco Falls Management, 207-228-8800
Pepperell Mill
Location: Biddeford, York County
Waterfront: Saco River
Year built: 1845
Year renovated: 2008
Number of units: 154
Monthly rent: $1,695-2,995, utilities and wifi included
Originally converted by local developer Doug Sanford, apartments in the Pepperell Mill Campus retain many historic features from its textile-weaving past, including 10- to 18-foot ceilings, exposed brick walls and beams, and honey-colored maple floors.
Now owned and managed by Texas-based Presidium, the property is available to lease or purchase residential units as they come on the market, providing what the company calls a “try before you buy” opportunity. It’s part of a 17-acre complex in the heart of a downtown that includes a variety of small businesses, artists, restaurants, breweries and coffee shops.
Apartments range from economical studios to luxury two-bedroom, two-bathroom units that include washer-dryer hookups. Available condos are priced from $325,000 to $1.5 million, according to Portside Real Estate Group.
Units feature modern finishes and oversized, industrial-style windows, many with views of the Saco River. Amenities include smart laundry facilities, green spaces with seating areas and gas grills, riverside picnic areas and a dog-washing station.
Contact: Pepperell Mill Campus, 207-282-5577, Ext. 201
Massachusetts
Thousands join Walk for Hunger in Boston: ‘Critical response to rising food insecurity’
Thousands joined Project Bread’s 58th annual Walk for Hunger on Sunday to combat what organizers called a critical and rising problem of food insecurity in Massachusetts.
“There is no reason any person in Massachusetts should not be able to put food on the table,” said Project Bread President and CEO Erin McAleer. “And yet, more people are struggling now than ever. Every one of us has a role to play in making a difference, and the Walk for Hunger is the perfect opportunity to do just that.”
The walk — representing the nation’s oldest continually running pledge walk, according to Project Bread — raised the targeted $1 million in funds to fight hunger in the state as participants made their way around the family-friendly and accessible 3-mile loop around Boston Common.
Project Bread, which organizes the fundraiser along with over 600-member Make Hunger History Coalition, noted that the walk is an “immediate opportunity” for people to take action as food insecurity rises in Massachusetts.
In Massachusetts, 40% of households are experiencing food insecurity, the organization said, and “rising food prices and potential changes to federal nutrition programs, including SNAP, threaten to deepen the challenge.” Local organizations in Greater Boston are continuing to prepare for additional strain, they added.
Project Bread joined food aid organizations and public officials to meet an “impossible task” as the government shutdown temporarily cut off SNAP benefits last November, at the same time as an estimated 3.5 million have lost SNAP benefits nationwide due to policy changes under the Trump administration last July.
The 3,500 participants Sunday represented 216 towns across Massachusetts, while additional walkers from 23 states and five countries participated virtually, organizers said. The event featured live music, food vendors, games, a cooking demonstration, and remarks from local leaders on the Common.
The funds raised support Project Bread’s “comprehensive approach to food security,” tackling areas like policy advocacy, prevention strategies and more, as well as supporting the work of 68 anti-hunger organizations who participate in the event and keep 60% of the funds they generate.
The walk highlights “how families across the Commonwealth—particularly in Black, Brown, and immigrant communities—continue to face difficult tradeoffs between food and other basic needs,” Project Bread said. At the same time, the organization called the state “uniquely positioned to lead the nation in ending hunger through coordinated policy, healthcare integration, and community-led solutions.”
“It’s a great day and more importantly, a powerful one because the strength of our community coming together can drive real change for those who need it most,” McAleer said.
Project Bread offers a toll-free Food Source Hotline at 1-800-645-8333 for those experiencing food insecurity, providing confidential assistance to connect with food resources in 180 languages and for the hearing impaired, as well as more information on projectbread.org/get-help.
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