Metro

Chelsea shelter opens under ire

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn yesterday slammed the opening of a Chelsea shelter for mentally ill homeless people that has started taking clients before a court could decide whether the project complies with city laws.

The Bowery Residents Committee received state approval for the 200-bed Jack R. Ryan Center, on West 25th Street — just one part of a facility that will eventually shelter 328 homeless men and women, most suffering from alcoholism, drug dependence or mental illness.

“History has shown that supersize shelters, such as the one BRC has proposed, do a disservice to both the homeless and the community at large,” said Quinn (pictured), who represents Chelsea.

The council has joined a suit to block the shelter, which is opposed by the Chelsea Flatiron Coalition, a group of residents, businesses and property owners.

BRC Executive Director Muzzy Rosenblatt said, “All of us at BRC are excited to move forward with this next step in our mission of helping people reclaim lives lost.”

Rosenblatt, who used to head the city’s homeless-services agency, declined comment on the opposition from Quinn and Chelsea neighbors.

BRC is looking for approval for more beds and to open more detox programs.

The suit challenging the shelter claims BRC and the city are attempting to “circumvent local zoning laws” and ignore rules that limit the size of shelters.

BRC, which signed a 33-year lease on the building and pledged $12 million to renovate it, said the suit was without merit.