Beloved Kingsbridge community center faces sudden closure
Warrior Sports Club, a safe haven for children, seniors and people with disabilities, is facing a sudden potential shutdown.
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A beloved community hub in Kingsbridge may be forced to close its doors for good.
Warrior Sports Club, a safe haven for children, seniors and people with disabilities, is facing a sudden potential shutdown. Program director Raju Rajput says that unless an agreement can be reached with his landlord, the center will have no choice but to close.
“This is my baby, and this is my livelihood,” Rajput said. “And now I’m about to lose my livelihood.”
For the past two years, the center has brought the community together through taekwondo, salsa classes, pickleball games and after-school programs. Its impact has been felt by those who rely on it for safety, structure and support.
“We’re just trying to give the neighborhood the neighborhood it never had,” Rajput said. “That was my vision." But that vision is now slipping away.
Rajput signed a 10-year lease in 2022, only to be met with over a year of construction delays due to pre-existing building violations. The center remained closed during that time - but now, the landlord, Brian Popper is demanding back rent for May through December 2023. It a move Rajput says could bring the program down in a matter of hours.
“If they lose this place, a lot of kids will be out on the street doing things wrong,” said volunteer Frederick Campaniello. “This would hurt the neighborhood the most.”
Rajput has already spent $35,000 in a last-ditch effort to buy the center two more months of operation. For many, like taekwondo instructor and former student Luis Arias, that time is precious. “This place is important because it teaches me a lot of self-improvement - just to be the best person I can be,” Arias said.
As of Monday evening, Rajput was still waiting to hear from his lawyer on whether the extension will be granted. News 12 has reached out to landlord Brian Popper for comment but has not yet received a response.
