A June 8 Crain’s newsletter teaser, behind its paywall, described “Adams’ ally Mastro” joining the fight against a Mamdani shelter. That is Randy Mastro, former First Deputy Mayor under Eric Adams and a deputy mayor under Rudy Giuliani before that. The shelter is the intake center the city is opening at 8 East Third Street in the East Village. The teaser left out his history: more than a decade ago, Mastro beat back a wealthy neighborhood coalition that tried to block a homeless shelter, and won a case that, in the words of an op-ed signed by the shelter operator, set “new legal precedents that continue to protect the entirety of NYC’s homeless shelter system to this day.” (amNewYork)

This time he was arguing the other side, and on Wednesday he lost.

Bellevue is NYC’s largest homeless shelter for men, housed in the old Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital on First Avenue between East 29th and East 30th Streets. The building went up in 1931 and was converted to emergency housing in 1984, and it could hold as many as 850 men. In March, Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration announced it would close the place, citing what Gothamist described as multiple fire safety concerns, code violations, and a reputation for violence. “My administration is focused on ensuring every New Yorker experiencing homelessness not only has access to shelter, but to spaces that are safe, humane and truly livable,” Mamdani said in a statement. “We cannot accept a system that treats people without dignity or stability.” (Gothamist)