By Emily Frost, DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
UPPER WEST SIDE — The city wants to knock down two Upper West Side elementary schools to clear the way for privately developed high-rise apartment towers — a plan that is infuriating local parents and education advocates.
The Department of Education's Educational Construction Fund posted a request for interested developers in Crain's New York in November, offering up two "prime development sites" at 210 W. 61st St. and 270 W. 70th St., without mentioning the fact that they are home to P.S. 191 and P.S. 199.
A formal request for expressions of interest lauded the "coveted" sites as being "located within neighborhoods exhibiting exceptionally strong residential market fundamentals" and added that the sites "are among the few chances remaining to build large projects" on the Upper West Side.
Students would be relocated during construction, and the developer would have to build a new school in the base of the new towers, officials said.
But parents are not happy about the prospect of switching school buildings.
"Kicking students out of their home school is not a gentle process. There will be an immediate negative impact on learning," said Laurie Frey, a parent and member of the District 3 Community Education Council.
"Building new to bump up the real estate market will leave kids in limbo just when they need to buckle down and study," she added. "New Yorkers pack up and move all the time, bed bugs and all, but that doesn't mean it's a good thing."
The Department of Education is also looking to sell the School of Cooperative Technical Education at 321 E. 96th St., which serves 11th and 12th-graders.
Developers can apply to buy all three school buildings or just one of them, officials said.
Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer said in a letter that he's heard from many parents from all three schools concerned about whether "their school will be demolished imminently," and "where the DOE will send students, teachers and staff whose buildings it has torn down," and that these unanswered questions have created "significant anxiety."
The letter was signed by community leaders including Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal and City Councilwoman Gale Brewer.
At a recent Community Education Council meeting, Jamie Smarr, executive director of the DOE's Educational Construction Fund, reassured parents that the sale of the schools would be subject to public review under the Uniform Land Use Review Process (ULURP), which requires a vote by the City Council.
That public review would begin in May or June, once the city has selected a developer for the project, and then construction would take about two years, Smarr said, according to people who attended the meeting. Twelve developers have expressed interest in the sites, Smarr said.
Eric Shuffler, P.S. 199's PTA President, said he and other parents have major concerns but are trying to keep an open mind.
"We have been assured that no proposal will be considered unless there is a suitable relocation facility in our [area], that our school will be kept together, that there will be extensive discussions with us and that any proposal will go through ULURP which ensures adequate public and Community Board input and eventual City Council approval," Shuffler wrote in an email.
He added that parents want to make sure the proposal doesn't get in the way of the DOE's cleanup of toxic PCBs from the school buildings.
"The possibility of this happening at either 199 or 191 cannot be allowed to in any way delay PCB remediation efforts at either school," Shuffler said.
The DOE did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Brewer and Stringer both worried about the impact of the new developments on the community.
"I’m not sure I want another tall building on the West Side," Brewer said. "I don’t want shadows over Amsterdam houses [near P.S. 191]."
Stringer added, "New developments can increase traffic, impact neighborhood character and add a new population to an area that already lacks school seats and other amenities."
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.