Construction is underway and according to the Department of Social Services, a long-proposed homeless shelter is set to open here on Cooper Avenue next year. The plans include room for 200 single adult men; many were housed at the former Maspeth Holiday Inn Shelter.

“This is ill-conceived," Councilman Robert Holden said.

Councilmember Robert Holden has long-opposed building a shelter at this location; instead he would like to see the site transformed into a school for children with special needs.

“The School Construction Authority loved the idea. The mayor liked the idea, we thought and we were told it was going to happen. It was at one point, 90% a deal,” said the councilman.

But Holden says last week, he found out that deal was no more. Instead, a Westchester based not-for-profit, Westhab will operate a shelter for men who are employed or looking for employment.

Holden says instead of investing nearly $30 million dollars into nearby P.S. 9 in Maspeth, which he calls dilapidated, money would be better spent building a new school on Cooper Avenue. Something many residents we spoke to, agree with.

“The school that they are in right now is horrendous. They are special-ed and let’s treat them special the way they’re supposed to be," said one person.

In a letter to Holden, Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza said: “Under my direction, they have carefully analyzed the school conditions and made key investments and repairs to ensure that P.S. 9 remains a school that we all can be proud of.

A Department of Social Services spokesperson tells NY1 that Queens Community District 5 currently has no shelters.

“Homeless New Yorkers come from every community across the five boroughs, so we need every community to come together to address homelessness."

But Holden says he’s not going down without a fight. Next he plans on filing a lawsuit against the city to halt construction at the site of this proposed homeless shelter.