The redevelopment of the Greenpoint Hospital in East Williamsburg has taken more than 25 years to move ahead, and the once-vigilant group of neighbors who have championed its repurposing have once again thrown down the gauntlet.

Fed up with what they describe as countless roadblocks and endless delays, the organizations and neighborhood associations hoping to develop the long-shuttered hospital are calling out New York City and demanding that a decision be made regarding the fate of the facility.

The hospital's closing in 1983 caused an enormous commotion among community activists, and while attempts to keep it open were ultimately unsuccessful, it unified the neighborhood and laid the foundation for the movement to repurpose the hospital.

The hospital was quickly turned into a shelter for homeless men, and more than 1,000 homeless men were placed in the facility, and the community staged enormous protests to have them removed.

"It wasn't a matter of 'not in our backyard,'" recalled Tish Cianciotta, founder of the Concerned Citizens of Whithers Street, at a public meeting last week. "We felt overburdened in our neighborhood, and the homeless situation was not that great at the facility. We felt that they deserved better."

After a number of large-scale protests against the shelter, the number of men that were set up in the Greenpoint Hospital was eventually reduced, and community groups like Saint Nicholas Neighborhood Preservation Corporation, the Greenpoint Renaissance Enterprise Corporation, the North Brooklyn Economic Development Corporation, and several block associations put together a plan to turn the hospital facility into a nursing home for elderly residents.

That plan, which was proposed in 1999, was a victim of the state's moratorium on new nursing homes, a fact that still frustrates members of the community to this day.

"We were weeks from final approval before the state's plan went into effect," said Michael Rochford, executive director of St. Nick's.

In 2007, the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) issued a request for proposals regarding the Greenpoint Hospital. Spearheaded by St. Nick's, these same groups created two plans that would establish the facility as a senior health center with affordable rental units for senior citizens and low-income families.

The two proposals both included the preservation of the nurse's residence building and the creation of a new, eight-story tower to serve as a home for families from a wide range of income levels. The plans also included a fully staffed medical facility for the senior citizens, and several rooms dedicated to open community space. The only difference between the two proposals is the amount of units each provides, with the preferred proposal having a lower density of units.

Since the proposals were submitted, HPD has yet to select a proposal, or make any indication that the project is still moving forward.

A recently deceased Williamsburg resident left the project $500,000 in his will, money which Rochford said gave the St. Nick's proposal a head start over other proposals.

"If they approved our plan today, we could start construction tomorrow," he said.

"The delay of this housing project, which took two years to get the RFP drafts and another two years for a decision to be made, is nothing but politics," said Councilwoman Diana Reyna. "We cannot accept no answers anymore. We need to start writing, start calling, and start faxing. This community needs to make some news. We cannot afford any further delays."

"The request for proposals was made without community input," said Diane Jackson, president of the Cooper Park Tenant Association. "We fought back and wanted preference for proposals submitted by community organizations. Whoever operates the site should have a community track record, and they should be considering local groups."

HPD's Jack Hammer was present at the meeting, and while he gave a number of reasons why the agency has not selected a project, he was unable to provide a definitive date at which they would.

"Since the RFP was issued in 2007, our department has taken on a new commissioner. And while he knows that this is an important issue, its one of the many things we're looking at," said Hammer.

He explained that HPD, like all city agencies, has been forced to make enormous cutbacks, and that many important projects are moving slower than preferred. He indicated that he had received less than ten proposals, which he described as "competitive," and that the department wants to give preference to senior housing.