Tenants seeking to block Greenpoint homeless shelter conversion mull buyout

The landlord of a four-story Greenpoint industrial building that non-profit organization HELP USA is seeking to turn into a men’s homeless shelter has presented the building’s remaining tenants with a relocation offer that could clear the way for the conversion, according to the Brooklyn Paper. The planned 200-bed shelter, at 400 McGuinness Boulevard and Clay Street, would be among the largest in Northern Brooklyn and has drawn significant opposition from community members and local politicians. In June, in an attempt to keep their longtime spaces, a group of tenants in the building applied for protection under the Loft Law, which would block the landlord from vacating them, and in turn, prevent a conversion. The landlord had said then that he would try to block their application, sparking talks of a buyout. Sources said negotiations over the landlord’s offer could be settled as soon as today. [Brooklyn Paper]