Neighborhood coordination with a Third Avenue clinic

Complaints about street conditions around Gramercy Park Services at 253 Third Avenue brought the Block Association into discussions with the clinic and the 13th Precinct. The Block Association’s later account describes work to document reported drug dealing, shoplifting and related concerns.

The Block Association worked with the Manhattan Neighborhood Council and its co-founder Gerard Schriffen. The retrospective also records involvement by Assemblyman Steve Sanders and the state agency responsible for substance-use services.

The Block Association brought neighbors’ concerns to the clinic, police and public officials, working as an advocate and liaison. Its 2014 retrospective returned to those early discussions on Third Avenue and described the clinic’s later operational changes and relocation.

1996

The wider policy debate

The contemporary press packet places the local concerns within a wider discussion among the Manhattan Neighborhood Council, the 13th Precinct and the state substance-use agency. Arlene Harrison spoke as the Block Association’s president and a council member, supporting a pilot intended to address illegal street sales.

Contemporary reports also aired concerns about the proposal. In a September 12, 1996 letter, Gerard Schriffen corrected reports suggesting that a newly approved treatment option would eliminate daily visits or reduce the number of patients. A September 6 New York Times account included providers’ concerns about preserving treatment choices and the shortage of treatment places.