US Rep. Ritchie Torres blasted city authorities for failing to clean up the "Broadway of the Bronx" which has descended into a notorious open-air drug market full of junkies and prostitutes.
"The City of New York has fundamentally failed to deliver a durable solution to a crisis that continues to spiral out of control," Torres said in a report released Wednesday on the South Bronx "Hub" commercial district.
"The City's response has amounted to little more than a game of whack-a-mole -- briefly suppressing illicit activity, only for the drug market to re-emerge with greater intensity," said Torres, a Democrat whose district includes the area.
Roberto Clemente Plaza and other streets are "overwhelmed" by drug use and sex workers in broad daylight, Torres claimed—which is driving away foot traffic and creating an atmosphere of "lawlessness and disorder."
The Hub—overseen by the Third Avenue Business Improvement District—is the central commercial corridor between Melrose and Mott Avenues that includes Roberto Clemente Plaza and encompasses more than 300 storefronts, 50 commercial properties.
It draws over 3.3 million annual visitors.
The Post reported last December that The Hub had become a drug-ridden wasteland taken over by zonked-out junkies.
"With a commercial vacancy rate of 15%, the Third Avenue BID cannot afford to stand by passively as an unfettered open-air drug market decimates foot traffic and paralyzes local business activity," Torres said in a letter sent to Mayor Eric Adams.
The congressman's report found that:
"The plaza needs a complete reset... it needs to be temporarily shuttered, and we need to redesign and remove the seating... because that seating is only allowing people to sit, overdose, and just wait for an ambulance to come and get them," said Pedro Suarez, executive director of the Third Avenue BID.
"The drug dealers don't even have to try hard. It's a captive audience. Even if there are folks trying to get over their addiction, they're being re-exposed to the trauma again and again," added Suarez.
Torres appealed to the mayor to intervene with a consistent, prolonged multi-agency campaign to revitalize The Hub.
"Despite repeated announcements of multi-agency operations -- often launched with great fanfare -- the City of New York is no closer to solving the public health and safety crisis that has taken hold of the Hub. The mission is far from accomplished. If anything, conditions on the ground have gotten worse," Torres told the mayor.
"The City of New York must demonstrate a renewed whole-of-government commitment to reclaiming the Hub from the grip of drug trafficking and return it where it rightfully belongs: to the people of the Bronx."
The mayor's office insisted City Hall is on the case.
"The Adams administration agrees that the decades-long issues plaguing 'The Hub' in the Bronx are unacceptable, which is why we brought our 'Community Link' model to the neighborhood -- a multi-agency operation of surged resources to address substance abuse, mental health, homeless outreach, sanitation, and other quality-of-life issues that prevent this part of the South Bronx from reaching its full potential," an Adams spokesperson said.
"We have responded to thousands of complaints, issued more than 3,600 summonses, placed dozens of homeless individuals in shelter, removed more than 730 syringes from our streets, made more than 1,000 arrests, and much more. But let's be clear: this work is not done -- our priority is to ensure safety. Progress is measured, but feeling safe is what truly matters. We will continue working until every individual feels safe and secure."
Torres previously criticized Gov. Kathy Hochul for not stepping in to bust up the drug haven.
The concerns stretch back years. Merchants and local business leaders in 2021 sent a letter to then-Mayor Bill de Blasio pleading for action on the drug-dealing, homelessness, and crime consuming The Hub.
Torres announced last week that he's likely not running for governor and will seek re-election to his 15th District House seat next year.