After years of hefty maintenance increases and management turnover, residents of Jamie Towers in Soundview/Castle Hill received some much-needed funding to support capital improvements and operations.
Dozens of shareholders gathered June 18 to hear the good news from Shareholder Board President Maxine Breeden and Assembly Member Karines Reyes, who presented Jamie Towers with a $4 million check.
In addition to the state funds, the board recently became aware of $1.7 million in tax credits from the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE) program. Breeden shared communications with Metro Management indicating that the managers will listen to the board’s input for investing those funds.
In recent years, the troubled Mitchell-Lama development of 620 units has seen monthly fees increase by 40%, financial mismanagement and misspending of funds, longstanding vacancies, high resident arrears and deteriorating physical conditions at the aging property. Jamie Towers and other New York City Mitchell-Lamas have been repeatedly flagged by State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli for these concerns and others.
At the announcement, Reyes told the crowd that Jamie Towers has been one of her major priorities. Of the $4 million, half is intended for operating expenses and half for capital repairs, she said.
“I know that you’re struggling. I know there are challenges in the development and we haven’t forgotten.”
Reyes credited Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie of the Bronx for helping secure the funds for Jamie Towers and added that only one other Mitchell-Lama in the state, Concourse Village, received such a large amount of funds.
Reyes said she hopes the board and management will prioritize paying past-due bills and getting vacant units back online to increase revenue.
She vowed to keep fighting for Jamie Towers, which is “a jewel in our community, and we have to preserve it.”
At the announcement, Breeden said she was pleased to see many residents who don’t normally attend meetings. “I don’t believe this room has been this full for a very long time.”
She acknowledged that many have become demoralized amid the drama, but with new funding comes an opportunity to make tangible changes at Jamie Towers.
Breeden said priorities will include paying off vendors, some of whom are owed months’ worth of payments, and repairing steam pipes, roofs, plumbing and boilers before winter hits. Breeden said management should use the funds to get ahead of repairs before they cause disasters that force residents to relocate, as has happened previously with one building’s flooded roof.
She also said Metro Management should “immediately” reinstate 24-hour security guards on the property. Jamie Towers once had four guards monitoring the interiors and grounds, but later cut down to just one, and currently, there are none.
Jamie Towers residents, many of whom are disabled seniors, have felt unsafe after seeing people sleeping on the playground and in lobbies and residents having their chain necklaces snatched in the parking lot, Breeden said.
She also took the opportunity to encourage others to get involved in the shareholder board of directors.
According to Breeden, the board will soon elect five new people as some current members, including Breeden herself, will step down.
After two years of constant advocacy for Jamie Towers, Breeden said she needed a break and said she was “begging” others to get involved in running and voting, especially since many decisions will require a quorum.
She encouraged residents to vote not just for their friends but for those who would responsibly steward the new funding. “Just because you like a person doesn’t mean they’re gonna be a good board member,” she said.
Looking ahead, Breeden said she has set the new board up for success, including creating a binder containing two years’ worth of meeting minutes and numerous emails between the board and management.
She said the next board must continue to assert its power and ensure residents’ voices are heard.
“We’re gonna keep an eye on our money this time,” Breeden said. “It’s very easy for management to take the money and do as they see fit, but what you need to understand as a board of director is that management works for the board, the board doesn’t work for management.”
Resident leadership will be needed more than ever as Jamie Towers faces another major obstacle: a $28 million mortgage that comes due in February 2027. Though the current funding provides significant relief, “We have no idea what’s gonna happen then,” Breeden said.
Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!
