Randall's Island will once again house asylum seekers
NEW YORK - It's shaping up to be one of the city's largest emergency housing facilities ever, and it's being done to keep up with an overwhelming influx of asylum seekers.
For the second time, a tent city is springing up on Randall's Island.
Watch Dave Carlin's report
Chopper 2 was over the four southern-most soccer fields at Randall's Island, where a transformation is underway.
Fields 82 through 85 are getting repurposed as a humanitarian relief center for asylum-seekers.
- Related: New York City considering popular soccer fields on Randalls Island as home for asylum seekers
"We used up every other option that we have," Dr. Ted Long of New York City Health + Hospitals said.
With the soccer equipment now moved out, moving in will be tents, and about 2,000 people.
Last week, migrants slept for days on sidewalks to avoid losing places in line at the city's intake center at the Roosevelt Hotel.
About 100,000 asylum seekers have come through the city's intake system since last spring.
Less than a year ago, the city tried, unsuccessfully, to use Randall's Island for the same purpose. A costly mega-shelter was created in a parking lot, and then it was abandoned after a few weeks. Some residents wonder why the city is coming back here.
"It may not be safe. I mean, how are they going to get into the city? They will have to walk across a bridge. It's not really conducive for them to be back-and-forth," Queens Village resident Kim Bembry said.
City leaders admit it is not ideal. Helping, though, is a deal struck with the state to reimburse the city for some of the costs of building, maintaining and staffing the new facility. Federal funds are desperately needed.
"This will get much worse if the federal government does not intervene today," Manuel Castro, commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs, said.
The loss of soccer fields will be felt by students from public and private grade schools.
"On the weekends, it will be pretty competitive to get a field just the field space. So that'll be interesting. But, I mean, support it that's fine," Morris Park resident Elvis Prempeh said.
City officials said the new Randall's Island facility will be up and running in a couple of weeks.
Additional busloads with 500 migrants are heading here from Texas and are expected to arrive Monday night, according to city leaders.