Ashley Khan, 35, in a room with eight beds in a 'sober house' that he runs. Photo courtesy of Gabel, NYDN.
For starters, purchasing condominium units in certain New York City neighborhoods can be a problem and often are regardless of any so-called assurances of gentrification.
Secondly, converting part of a condominium building into a halfway house is a betrayal by the building owner that solely benefits his/her interests only.
Thirdly, from my perspective, since the building was advertised as a luxury condominium building that would gentrify the community, someone is guilty of lack of disclosure and fraud.
Compounding the infraction is the fact that the halfway house is run by an ex-felon, Ashley Khan, fresh off of parole and now left to his own devices. It should also be noted that Khan was in jail for robbery, which is understandably a problem for any honest and hardworking man or woman.
It was advertised as a luxury condo building that would gentrify the Brooklyn neighborhood. But what opened was a halfway house run by an ex-con.
Now neighbors are up in arms, saying they’re the victims of a bait-and-switch that could drag their modest Bushwick block back to the bad old days.
‘We’re afraid,’ said Nilagros Lopez, 65, a school health aide who collected hundreds of signatures opposing the project at 979 Willoughby Ave. ‘We don’t know what might happen. We don’t know who’s in there.’
What’s especially galling, neighbors say, is that the halfway house is run by a paroled felon who operates with virtually no oversight.
‘Nobody’s watching what they’re doing,’ said longtime neighbor Evett Villafane, 52.
Developer Benjamin Glasser was taking a bet on Bushwick when he invested $3.8 million in the condo project, which boasts floor-to-ceiling windows, balconies and roof decks. In 2007, he started marketing the eight units for as high as $688,000 apiece.
But the building – designed by Brooklyn architect Robert Scarano – was plagued by delays. The city did not approve occupancy until late last year.
In the meantime, the market tanked and four would-be buyers backed out.
That’s when Glasser turned to 35-year-old Ashley Khan, who was fresh off parole for a robbery.
Khan and his company, Global Humanitarian Service, leased the building for an undisclosed amount to run as a for-profit halfway house for drug addicts.
Khan told the Daily News he had several years’ experience turning private homes into halfway houses, and prison taught him how to run an institution.
‘I really want to help people,’ he said. ‘I want to save the world.’
He packed the units with bunk beds, running the operation from the building’s glamorous triplex penthouse. He rents an adjoining penthouse to models in town for photo shoots.
Although he has no staff, is not always in the building and provides no support services, Khan said he would like to increase the number of people living there from 18 to 60.
He said he administers drug tests and has kicked out two people for using narcotics.
Residents praised his work.
‘I needed to reconnect with myself so there’s no chance of relapse,’ said Jessica Isolda, 32, a recovering heroin addict from Staten Island who shares a tiny bedroom with three women.
The residents of the one- and two-family houses and small apartment buildings that line the block complain the building is a haven for unsavory activity that will lower property values.
‘You need a license to get married. You need a license to drive a car. You don’t need a license to open a halfway house?’ Villafane complained.
Khan said neighbors are jealous of the flashy building.
‘I’m going to come over here with a Ferrari just to p— them off,’ he said.
‘Excuse my language,’ Khan added, after using a string of expletives describing conflicts with neighbors. ‘I’m very street. I’ve been that way the last couple months dealing with this block. They brought out something in me I didn’t know I had in me anymore.”
From luxe to low-rent
Bushwick isn’t the only neighborhood promised luxury condos only to wind up with something very different.
The city pays hundreds of thousands of dollars a month to house homeless families in an upscale Crown Heightscondo building where the units never sold.
‘No one is going to buy a home with this right here,’ complained retiree Alicia Smith, 60, who lives near the Bushwick shelter….”
While Kahn may not be the culprit, it is only a matter of time before owners of these units and neighbors are victims of multiple robberies and other criminal activity. It, therefore, comes as no surprise that the unit owners along with their neighbors share concerns about leaving their residences for more than a minute. Who can blame them?
Hence, choices made by the building owner have put condominium owners, the community and their families at risk.
People purchase homes and condominiums as a step up not as step down.
Considering leasing of this type is fast becoming a trend in NYC, future purchasers of condominium units might want to do their homework, demand full disclosure while inserting language that would protect their interests in sale agreements BEFORE finalizing the deal. In addition, they might also want to investigate the building owner as well.
“Neighbors of the halfway house said their only hope is a pending city hearing over a March 23 citation that the building has too many beds.
Khan said he plans to file paperwork to amend the certificate of occupancy – but until that’s approved, he’s losing money.”
Khan plans to file paperwork amending his certificate of occupancy relevant to the halfway house because he is losing money.
In New York City if a property owner rents a dozen apartments in a building, but the certificate of occupancy is for eight apartments, it’s a violation and illegal. The four illegal apartments would have to be vacated and the building owner would be penalized.
Khan’s use of his condominium units is not in accordance with his certificate of occupancy and that in itself is a violation and illegal. Khan’s history makes this infraction all the more disturbing and just might work in favor of condominium unit owners and neighbors.
According to the NYC Department of Buildings site, no previously issued permits have been filed for this property.
St. Leonard´s House in Toronto, Canada was founded by a group of very enthusiastic people to meet the residential needs of recently released prisoners returning to the eastern part of Toronto. It was in 1976. I do not need to explain all the problems with funding it and a lack of understanding from the site of many neighbours in that time. After all fights and usual (or unusual) procedures finally in 1985 the house was opened. We should have to understand that some people need our help to gain the self-respect and to take responsibility for their future lives.