More than 200 neighborhood activists joined local politicians at a Lower East Side rally yesterday to demand the city renovate and reopen the abandoned La Guardia Bathhouse.
“I call on the city to turn this eyesore into a much-needed recreational facility,” said Councilman Alan J. Gerson, the strongest supporter of the renovation.
Activists want the white three-story building, located within the La Guardia Housing Projects on Madison Street, to be converted into a recreation center for local kids and seniors. Built in 1901, the “Whitehouse,” as it was known, was once a popular bathhouse and public pool, but has been a derelict eyesore since it closed in the 1970s.
“If they can build new recreation centers elsewhere, they should be able to figure out a way to renovate an old recreation center in this community,” said Gerson. He has the support of Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum and Assembly Speaker Shelly Silver.
The restoration would include a new pool, basketball court, fitness room, computer center and space for after-school programs, and have a price tag between $20 million and $30 million. Advocates hope to secure funding for the center through a grant from the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation.
Proponents say the area has a severe shortage of pools and public facilities. The Whitehouse, they claim, could once again be a great asset to the neighborhood.
“We need to make our children feel good about the community,” said John Quinn, 58, who has lived in the neighborhood his entire life. “We need to build it up.”
The city is quick to point out another public recreation center in the immediate area, just four blocks away on Catherine Street, but local residents say it’s overcrowded and does not cater to children.
“The kids really need this. We don’t have anything else in this community,” said Lower East Side resident Chris Cotrich, 47.