From SingTao’s Keenan Chen:
Working on a better translation!! But for now:
“Worrying Hua’s further “aristocraticization”
August 08, 2018, 22:24 New York
Worrying Hua’s further “aristocraticization”
Many residents used chalk to write a variety of demonstration slogans on the pavement.
Our reporter Chen Yutai reports from New York
Worried about the further “aristocratization” of Manhattan’s Hua Tuo, nearly 100 community members came to the Rivington House in Roosevelt Park on the afternoon of the 8th to hold a “Vigil” demonstration, asking the city government and real estate developers to ” Recovering the life, let this building that has been providing education or medical services to the community for more than 100 years, and continue to exercise it as the “mission” of public facilities.
On the evening of Wednesday, residents of various districts hanged a full ribbon at the “Levinton House” and nearby railings, or wrote various slogans in chalk on the pavement, demanding the administration of Bai Sihao and real estate development. The business retains this building.
Has provided treatment services for AIDS patients
Among them, Kathleen Webster is the initiator of this “vigil” demonstration and the head of the community organization Neighbors to Save Rivington House. She said that she had had a dialogue with developers earlier this year and is expected to continue the dialogue in the next few months. Therefore, she hopes to exert pressure on the city government and developers as much as possible. She said: “The Vanke company is the world’s largest real estate developer. They don’t need this land at all. But there are so many elderly and low-income people in our community. I need the “Levinton House” transformation. Become an old man’s building.”
The 6-storey, 145,000-square-foot “Levinton House” was completed in the late 19th century. It was originally the site of the PS 20 public school, but it was converted into an AIDS treatment center around 1990. AIDS patients provide treatment and services.
Developers acquire and renovate the luxury building
Zheng Zheng, who participated in the demonstration on the same day, said that he grew up near the “Levinton House” and recalled that many patients in wheelchairs were seen passing by every day and were pushed down to the front of the door to enjoy the cold. He said: “Those patients have always been well taken care of here.”
However, as the number of hospital admissions dropped significantly, many beds were vacant, causing the health centre to be closed in 2014. The community originally hoped that the building could be converted into a home for the elderly, but it was later discovered that the city government had “sneakly” removed the contractual terms that restricted the use of the building only as a non-profit-making health service facility, enabling Vanke Enterprises. Vanke (USA) Holdings, together with New York local developers Slate Property Group and Adam America Real Estate, acquired the building and plans to transform the property into a luxury building with 100 apartments.
Zheng Zheng hopes that the historic “Levinton House” will continue to maintain its role in providing public services. He said: “This building has always provided extremely important care services to the community, and we continue to it.”
Translation for Singtao Daily News
Concerned about the further “aristocracy” of Chinatown in Manhattan
Nearly 100 community members came to the Rivington House in Roosevelt Park in the afternoon of the 8th to hold a “vigil” demonstration, demanding that the city government and real estate developers “rescind the order” and let this 100 years building continue to provide education or medical care service for the community.
Late Wednesday evening, residents of many districts hung ribbons on the Rivington House and nearby railings, or chalked up various demonstration slogans on the pavement, demanding that Bill De Blasio government and property developers keep the building to help with treatment services for AIDS patients.
Among them, K Webster one of the initiator of the vigil and part of the community organization Neighbors to Save Rivington House. She said she had held talks with developers earlier this year and expected to continue. Therefore, she hopes to exert pressure on the city government and developers as far as possible. “Vanke is the world’s largest real estate developer and they don’t need it at all,” she said. But there are so many elderly people and low-income people in our community. There is an urgent need for Rivington House to be transformed into an elderly building (for those in need of care as seniors).
The 6-storey, 145,000-square-foot Rivington House, originally the site of the public school PS 20, was completed in the late 19th century, but was converted into an AIDS sanatorium around 1990 to provide treatment and services to thousands of AIDS patients.
Developers buy and transform luxury buildings
Zheng Hao-wei, who participated in the demonstration, said he grew up near the Rivington House and recalled seeing many patients in wheelchairs and being pushed to the door for a cool ride every day when he passed class. “Those patients have been well taken care of here,” he said.
But with the number of hospitalized sanatoriums declining dramatically, many beds were vacant, leading to the closure of the sanatoriums in 2014. Community members had hoped the building would be converted into a nursing home, but it was later discovered that the city government had quietly lifted the terms of the contract, which had limited the building to non-profit-making health services, and that Vanke (USA) Holdings had contracted with Slate Property Group, a local developer in New York, and Adam America Real Estate bought the building together and planned to transform it into a luxury building with 100 apartments.
Zheng hoped that the historic Rivington House would continue its role in providing public services. “The building has been providing vital care to the community and we continue to provide it,” he said.