Mount Vernon NewsCenter (MVNC) received a demand letter from Christian DiPalermo, Esq., the Attorney representing Comrie Enterprises, LLC, on Tuesday, November 18th, demanding a retraction of several misleading and inaccurate statements on the MVNC Facebook page regarding the property formerly operated as a YMCA facility, located at 20 South 2nd Avenue in Mount Vernon.
“Your post makes several inaccurate allegations based on misconceptions… In your post, you make several allegations that my clients are allegedly not fulfilling their duties and responsibilities, specifically listing issues involving exterior maintenance and cleanliness, as well as securing the Property from unauthorized access. You also note that there “may” be mandated vacant property registration and recovery plans; then—having established that you are not clear whether such mandates exist—you nonetheless assert our client is not fulfilling those responsibilities either.” (See full letter below)
Comrie Demand Letter FINAL by BLACK WESTCHESTER MAGAZINE
So, how did we get here for those not keeping score with everything going on in the city? Here is a brief rundown.
On November 5, 2025, the Mount Vernon NewsCenter (MVNC), owned and operated by Atif Khalil Coleman, posted on their Facebook page that Comrie Enterprises, the developer of the Library Square project, is neglectful in maintaining the former YMCA building at 20 South 2nd Avenue property they own.
“ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! The YMCA building at 20 S. 2nd Ave. remains vacant, attracting trash and illegal dumping. Over the summer, weeds and trees have overgrown half the building and the entire playground area. Last time we checked, the city entered into a land agreement with Comrie Enterprise LLC, owned by Mr. #MarvinChurch and #DianaWilliams, who are responsible for maintaining the property, but it seems they have not fulfilled this duty. As property owners in New York State, they are required to keep the vacant building secure, safe, and sanitary. This includes maintaining the exterior, securing the property from unauthorized access, and keeping the grounds clean. Local laws may also mandate vacant property registration and recovery plans. Sadly, these responsibilities are not being met, leading to ongoing complaints from residents. Jeffrey Sha Holiday and Tyrone, who haven’t been active on Facebook due to technical issues, have taken it upon themselves to clean the site. It is unclear why DPW staff are involved in cleaning private property. We strongly urge the owners to address this issue immediately and properly maintain their property. We are exhausted from receiving complaints, and it is their obligation to resolve this matter,” Coleman wrote on the Mount Vernon NewsCenter Facebook page.
Several individuals, including BW Publisher Damon K. Jones, warned Coleman – who started as a writer for Black Westchester – that the information was incorrect. Jones left a comment on the post explaining that a land agreement (land contract) does not mean you own the property immediately; the seller retains legal title until the final payment is made. Therefore, the statement posted incorrectly accuses Comrie Ent. of neglecting the property, and that not removing or correcting the post could expose MVNC to a defamation lawsuit. Jones’ comment, which was shared by a friend and, as a professional courtesy, was then deleted by MVNC, and the post remained.
Five days later, on November 10th, MVNC interviewed MV Comptroller Dr. Darren M. Morton, during which Dr. Morton said at 21:33 that the city was counting on the $1.5 million sale of the YMCA. Still, the deal didn’t go through yet, further disproving the statement made by MVNC five days earlier about Comrie’s neglect of the property. The city still owns the property.
On Thursday, November 13th, at the Industrial Development Agency (IDA) or (MVIDA) regularly scheduled monthly meeting, Comrie made a presentation before the IDA. When the attorney for the IDA, Darius P. Chafizadeh of Harris Beach Murtha Attorneys At Law, introduced Comrie as the owner of the property at the beginning of the meeting, Corporation Counsel Brian G. Johnson corrected him and stated, “the city still owns the property,” and Comptroller Morton added, “and is responsible for its maintenance,” further proving MVNC’s post was incorrect and not factually reported.
The MVNC post led some Mount Vernon residents who read MVNC to leave comments on apps like Next Door, saying “Shawyn (Patterson-Howard) has city employees cleaning her campaign donor, Comrie Enterprises LLC’s private property…” This is not only incorrect but could be potentially damaging to Comrie’s reputation; it’s a misrepresentation of the Mayor. Especially since the city itself has on more than one occasion explained that Mount Vernon owns the property, not Comrie.
MVNC who claims to be “the definitive source for local and national news, sports, and entertainment information,” has repeatedly accused Comrie Enterprises of neglect, falsely claiming the developer is the owner of the former YMCA. Back on Friday, July 11, 2025, Coleman wrote, “Sources tell us that Comrie can’t move forward with this project without a PILOT agreement. Since the sale in 2021, the building has remained vacant, and there have been no updates regarding the timeline for the construction of the proposed apartment building. We’ve received numerous inquiries about the future of the YMCA building through messenger and comments, and we are actively seeking answers from the owner of Comrie Enterprise.”
And again on two days later on July 13th, during an interview with BW’s Damon K. Jones, Coleman says, “then comes Comrie and they brought the building from the city…” (22:16), when he was interupted by Jones who corrected him and let him know that, “they don’t own the building, they put in an offer for the building…” Despite being told by Black Westchester, the Comptroller, and several others, Coleman continued to falsely report that Comrie owns the building and is neglectful in maintaining it.
The letter goes on to threaten MVNC with legal action for defamation if they do not remove or correct the malicious, inaccurate statements.
“While our clients remain committed to resolving this matter amicably and hope that this letter will help to correct any misconceptions regarding their involvement with the Property, they reserve all rights and remedies available under the law, including the pursuit of claims for defamation and injunctive relief should corrective action not be taken immediately.”
As of the publishing of this article, the Mount Vernon NewCenter posts were still on their Facebook page.
This whole situation is a real whos got the property tale of wits and weeds! 😂 MVNC seems determined to outdo themselves in reporting errors, with Atif Khalil Coleman putting on quite the I know the truth! act. Meanwhile, Comries lawyer is basically saying, Excuse me, have you seen this property owner? Theyre confusing legal title with a good scrubbing! Its like watching a game of Gotcha gone wrong. Good luck to MVNC – hope their legal team is ready for a defamation call they didnt answer! 🤣
Whoever owns it is doing a deplorable job maintaining it. It is filthy and an eyesore. Shame on the City for keeping the property in utter filth. Why hasn’t the property been ticketed?
Why isn’t the city who still owns the property, responding to the complaints of the residents regarding it’s filth? Why should it reach the level of misinformation regarding “who owns it” in an attempt to have it cleaned? For the city to acknowledge it yet “owns the property” in the face of complaints concerning it’s maintenance – appears to be “a force of wills” at work. Because although action was taken to clean it – that too was misinterpreted as who did what and why! Whatever the agenda here goes beyond the “cleanliness” of this property. Let the Mayor be the mayor and let those reporting misinformation “knowingly and intentionally” and in spite of all advisories that they have done so, reap the consequences of their actions! For they will not be satisfied until told by a court the information was incorrect and are issued the penalty and damages for that misinformation.