City asks industry to pitch space for migrant centers

City Hall is calling on the real estate industry to help house the growing number of asylum seekers arriving in New York City.

The Economic Development Corporation on Thursday released a request for proposals for space to temporarily house migrants. The RFP casts a wide net, calling on developers to pitch space that can “accommodate congregate-style housing,” such as industrial space, but does not rule out hotel, office and residential space.

At a minimum, the space needs to be 60,000 square feet and have electricity, at least two emergency exits and no health hazards. Developers would need the ability to add kitchens, bathrooms, fire alarms, heat, hot water and other basics.

Sites must also comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The city would lease the space for one year, with options to renew for two one-year periods. Developers or landlords can work with brokers, but must pay their commission.

Applicants can pitch one or more locations for the city to operate as Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Centers, billed by the city as the first touchpoint for individuals and families in need of shelter, food and medical care.

Responses to the RFP are due Jan. 27. The city has indicated that it will give preference to applicants who can deliver sites quickly, and no later than four months after submitting their proposal.

The Adams administration has opened more than 60 emergency shelters — in hotels and other venues — and four humanitarian emergency response and relief centers to handle the influx of migrants. Since the spring, nearly 32,000 asylum seekers have arrived, according to NBC, overwhelming the city’s shelters.

Mayor Eric Adams declared a state of emergency in October to facilitate funding of the efforts. The city is poised to receive federal money and has also called on the state to send aid.

Adams anticipates even more arrivals once Title 42, a federal policy restricting entry at the U.S. border, expires. The policy was to end Wednesday, but its fate is now with the Supreme Court.

“In the past three days, New York City has received approximately 1,100 asylum seekers, and these numbers continue to grow,” a spokesperson for City Hall said in a statement. “This RFP is yet another way that the city is preparing for an additional influx of asylum seekers and it provides the flexibility to address this fluid crisis.”

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Adams has also floated the possibility of reviving tent cities to house asylum seekers, according to Gothamist. The mayor has faced backlash from the City Council and advocates for suggesting that the Council slash its discretionary spending to free up money.

Michelle Jackson, executive director of the Human Services Council, said in a statement that her nonprofit has served “on the front lines of this surge since the day it began.”

“Mayor Adams has missed the first lesson in crisis management: know your allies,” Jackson said in a statement. “These organizations rely on Council discretionary funding to survive. If the mayor thinks he’s facing a crisis with human service workers, then I assure you he won’t want to find out what it looks like without them.”

The city is expected to receive a significant chunk of $800 million from a federal spending bill, according to the New York Daily News. The funding needs to be approved by the end of the week.