'They scream at you, curse at you.' Businesses struggle as drug activity spills onto the streets at the Hub
People are on high alert in the Hub as drug use continues to spill onto the streets around Roberto Clemente Plaza.
People are on high alert in the Hub as drug use continues to spill onto the streets around Roberto Clemente Plaza.
The notorious plaza has been closed since July, when former Mayor Eric Adams launched a multiagency effort to address the open drug use issue in the area. The city put barricades around the plaza and launched a mobile command center there.
Benjamin Engel, program manager for the Third Avenue Business Improvement District, said the situation was dire before the barricades.
"When it was open, it was four to five ambulances a day responding to overdoses. It was basically a waiting room for overdose response," he said.
Now that the plaza has been closed for eight months, Engel said many drug users have moved onto nearby streets. He says businesses are feeling the impact, adding that vacancies in the Hub are rising and storefronts are becoming harder to fill.
Managers at surrounding stores say the conditions outside are getting worse. Asha Raz, manager of Cee & Cee Department Store, said drug use, needles and human feces are often right outside her store.
"They scream at you, curse at you and you can't do anything," Raz said. "It's getting really, really worse. I wish the city could come forward, especially at night, and do some kind of cleanup."
Right behind the plaza on Bergen Avenue, Lincoln Hospital operates a medical outreach bus that provides health services. They also give out bags with personal hygiene kits, snacks and water to people in the area.
News 12 reached out to several city agencies, and most of them pointed us to another agency.
The NYPD said there is a dedicated team assigned to patrol the Hub, and that there are two officers staffed with watching Roberto Clemente Plaza 24/7.
The Department of Social Services said outreach teams visit the area daily, and that they've placed 15 people into shelters so far this year.
The Department of Health, which coordinates much of the city's response in The Hub, sent us the following statement:
"No New Yorker should struggle alone, which is why the New York City Health Department works with community based organizations, healthcare providers and our partner agencies to promote access to resources through outreach and direct connections to care in the area. While overdose deaths are down, we continue to lose too many of our neighbors in the Bronx. We are working proactively ahead of warmer weather in areas where public drug use and other needs increase. Anyone seeking mental health or substance use resources in NYC can call or text 988 to receive confidential support and referrals."
News 12 has not yet received any information from Mayor Zohran Mamdani's office regarding the ongoing issues at The Hub.
