News

596 Acres at It’s My Park Day at Sara D. Roosevelt Park on the Lower East Side

Wednesday, July 6 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

At Sara D Roosevelt Park at Stanton Street (between Forsyth & Chrystie) on the Lower East Side

Join us and The Stanton Building Task Force of the Sara D. Roosevelt Park Coalition to envision a new community space in the Stanton Building, which was built as a community center and has been closed to the public for decades.

596 Acres will be there with our “What Do We Do With Our Land” exhibit, which highlights the use of eminent domain and community land trusts to create community controlled land and housing on the Lower East Side. We originally installed this in front of the Stanton Street building in 2015 for the Ideas City Festival.

You can listen to the audio pieces at the link, but you will need to come to the festival to experience the energy of the neighborhood!

It’s My Park Day Clean up, plant and make this area beautiful! 

and

Campaign to Restore the Bathrooms in SDR Park! Do you use the ballfields in SDR Park? Want open and clean bathrooms there?

and

Envision a New Community Space at the Stanton Building!  what would you like to see here?

Wednesday July 6, 13 and 27 in Sara D Roosevelt Park

Envision a New Community Space at the Stanton Building!
Weds July 6th • 3 to 6pm – Stanton Street between Forsyth and Chrystie

It’s a blank slate! Drop by and make a big impression. Explore resilient possibilities with the Stanton Building Task Force and NYCommons. Get inspired by:

• Gardening via It’s My Park Day by M’Finda Kalunga & Sara Roosevelt Park Community Coalition & the LUNGS Youth Program & Partnership for Parks
• Bike Repair by The New York Mechanical Gardens Bike Co-op
• Beekeeping with Alpha Bee City Honey
• Renewable Energy with Solarize LES
• Composting & Green Jobs with Green Map System
• LES History with the New Museum
• Awesome exhibits by 596 Acres, Hester Street and other community groups
• Zumba with University Settlement

Thank you to Council Member Chin and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, Jina Porter, Interpreter for our deaf neighbors, the Sara D Roosevelt Park Community Coalition, University Settlement, NYC Parks Department, Partnerships for Parks, Bowery Rescue Committee, Materials for the Arts, NY4Parks, LES Ready and the Collective for Culture, Community and Environment.

Clean Up the Park!

Campaign for the Park Bathrooms to be Restored!

Campaign for the Return of the Stanton Building to the Lower East Side Community

3 events in July to expand the vision and learn how to effectively generate change!

Wednesday July 6, 13 and 27 in Sara D Roosevelt Park

In 1998, residents were promised their community space would soon be returned. Instead, it’s used for storage and in poor condition, which attracts other misuse of the Park as well as trucks coming and going in an area where children play and bicyclists ride.

This coastal community needs a space to generate relationships and resiliency. Located one block south of Houston Street and a block east of the Bowery in a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood, the Stanton Building could be an important anchor to the community and a gateway to Sara D Roosevelt Park. As one of the few public buildings located outside all the flood zones below Houston, it could function well as a refuge in times of disruption. It is in the heart of a community that is being priced out of financially viable democratic spaces.

For more information or to RSVP, contact apple@greenmap.org

Thanks to the neighbors, small businesses, Elected officials, local community based organizations and farther afield organizations who worked to make this day happen.

We want to thank in particular University Settlement House and Melissa Aase and her amazing staff for pulling the press conference together.

What a great way to spend the morning/afternoon.

Thanks to everyone for every single thing you did that we know about and for the very many we don’t. 

Thank you for every single pressing personal issue you put aside to help make this happen.

Reporters came from Gothamist, NY Post, Daily News, DNAinfo, Village Voice, Villager, WNYC, Epoch Times, and our favorite… The Lo-Down.…Politico is following up.

The elected officials were better than ever: Margaret Chin and Daniel Squadron were with us. Gale Brewer’s Deputy came in support. Bob Humber and Rhonda from Roni-Sue’s Chocolates spoke eloquently, personally with compassion and smarts.

Melissa hosted with a vengeance – her opening remarks were brilliant and to the point.

We had detail-fixers, tweeters, speakers, table-movers, moviemakers, organizers, experts, electeds and their hard working staffers, our beloved and passionate community members, community board reps, tech supporters, errand runners, petition signers – and petition outreachers, water bearers, advisors, sign-makers, flyer -putter-uppers, designers, greeters, press wranglers, former staffers of Rivington House, witnesses, strategists, researchers, email writers, family of RH residents and investigative reporters. 

No job was beneath us or above us. It was collective effort at its best.

The Settlement Houses local and city-wide, Hand in Hand, GOLES, CAAAV, ACT-Up, Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, National Domestic Workers Alliance, M’Finda Kalunga Community Garden, Educational Alliance, 10 Stanton Street, members of BRC Nutrition Center, Sara Roosevelt Park Coalition Members were with us….VOCAL -NY said they’d push our petition…just heard from GMHC…and more on the way…

We’ve already helped to press for tougher and transparent reforms to protect communities from the next Rivington Houses and we’ve helped block the sale of two nursing homes that would have fallen to the same tactics. We have opened up a window for transparency and accountability.

1528 signatures and more networks asking members to sign.

And my new favorite ‘hope quote’ from Jesse Williams “A system built to divide, and impoverish, and destroy us cannot stand – if we do”

articles thus far: 

Village Voice    by Alexandria Neason

Gothamist by Emma Whitford

Daily News by Mary McDonnell and Erin Durkin

Not able to make the Press Conference but asking the right questions:

Politico by Susan Goldenberg (the city-commissioned report referred to is the one the Mayor asked for himself).

Real Deal video of the entire history Alistair Gardiner

NY Post by Michael Gartland 

Bowery Boogie by Elie

Epoch Times by Sarah Lu (in Chinese)

And the Lo-Down continues its investigative reporting and posts all news of Rivington House

Neighbors to Save Rivington House

Facebook

Twitter #CareNotCondos #RivingtonHouse

Petition 

BAN (Bowery Alliance of Neighbors) “Windows on the Bowery”

See nice article in Bowery Boogie: “Bowery Alliance of Neighbors co-founder David Mulkins says. “We wanted people to see how important this street is.”

LowLine is launching their Lowline Young Ambassadors Program.

“Designed to deepen and expand the Lowline’s commitment to youth education and engagement, this program builds upon over 3 years of the Lowline Young Designers Program.”

The Lowline Young Ambassadors Program will help prepare 16 rising juniors for careers and educational paths in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) related fields.

Benefits

• – Scholarship of $1,000 upon completion of the program for each participant, with average commitment of 100 hours per student.
• – Documentation of service hours and recommendations for college, employment, or other scholarship programs.
• – Personal networking opportunities with architects, scientists, engineers, designers, and the Lowline team.

Qualifications

– Currently enrolled in high school as a rising junior (grade 11) in New York City, with a preference for students living or attending school on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.
– Interest in exploring and learning science, technology, engineering, arts and math.
– Interest in interacting with the public and developing communication skills.
– Requires recommendation via a community-based organization.

Responsibilities

– Actively engage visitors at the Lowline Lab, our live technology exhibition space.
– Facilitate design-based activities for families and school-based audiences.
– Lead quarterly design charrettes alongside the cohort for the local community.

Time Commitment

16 youth will serve as Lowline Young Ambassadors for 6-months, starting on October 1, 2016 and running through March 1, 2017. Young Ambassadors begin the program with a two-day-long orientation and training program. Following orientation and training, youth will commit to completing an average of 100 hours throughout the program, the total of which will include shifts at the Lowline Lab on weekends, as well as after school workshops and sessions during the week.

Application Process

Applicants must apply through a participating community organization by submitting a brief personal statement of interest, application form, and two references via an online application. Participating organizations are listed below, but all New York-City-based organizations are eligible.

Applications will open July 7, 2016, and close September 16, 2016. Selected applicants will be notified by September 23, 2016, and invited to participate in a group interview to take place between September 26, 2016 and September 30, 2016.”

For more information please contact The Lowline at education@thelowline.org.

Buy tickets: http://bit.ly/cpasummersocial  Information: 212-274-1891 or cpanyc@cpanyc.org

Invitation to learn about local legislative drafting

We are gathering…Press Release below…

PRESS CONFERENCE and Community Questions and Answers

Monday, June 27^th, 11:30 a.m. 184 Eldridge Street, 2^nd Floor

Contacts:

Tessa Huxley, 917-751-0723

Amy Brenna, abrenna@universitysettlement.org, 212-940-9090 ext. 3385

Lower East Side Neighborhood Comes Together to

SAVE RIVINGTON HOUSE

Over 1,100 Signatures Gathered in Two Weeks

Mayor’s Office Invited to Hear the Concerns of the Community

WHAT:  Neighbors and elected officials will gather on Monday, June 27th to voice growing concerns and provide additional information on the fall-out from the loss of Rivington House nursing home services, and provide an update on investigations. The Mayor’s Office have has invited to receive over 1,100 petition signatures and a book of community comments culled from the petition drive.

BACKGROUND: Since May 28^th 2016, over 1,100 on-line supporters of The Neighbors to Save Rivington House’s Change.org petition – “Mayor De Blasio: Return Rivington House” have joined neighbors, small businesses, former staff and residents, State Senator Daniel Squadron, Congress Member Nydia Velasquez, Borough President Gale Brewer, Council Member Margaret Chin, Council Member Rosie Mendez, Comptroller Scott Stringer, State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, US Attorney Preet Bharara, and Community Board 3 in shocked disbelief over the secretive removal of this lifesaving community resource from the disabled, the elderly and infirm and to demand Rivington House be returned to the people who need it most.

Signatories from across the street and across the country as well as former residents and their families and friends have signed our petition and expressed their outrage:

This neighborhood welcomed the creation of an AIDS Hospice in 1992 when the stigma of that scourge was at its height and the targeting of those communities who were suffering were still being shunned. Staff and residents built a community out of those ashes and neighbors gifted their garden lot to the institution with the ironclad agreement that the building would remain in service to the public in perpetuity.  Rivington House helped to save my partner’s life. It should NOT be turned into condos. SCOTT MORGAN

For the better part of ten years I volunteered, then trained volunteers, at Rivington House. I learned and loved the residents there, and had many happy moments when they’d stop me in the neighborhood to say hello. They were a part of the community. I also voted for Bill de Blasio. That the deed restriction was altered under hinky circumstances to benefit real estate developers disappoints me wildly. We need more services for the poor and infirmed, not for the wealthy. Restore the deed. Restore Rivington House.  KIMBERLY MASSENGILL

As a former resident of Eldridge St at Rivington, I am dismayed that after fighting for so long to restore the Rivington House to the public service, you, the mayor we were waiting for, would allow the betrayal of that purpose. I’m even more shocked to have heard you on the radio defending yourself by saying your people “lied “to you! Really? Then did you fire them? How could you take away such an important community resource? I thought you were the mayor who defended the needy, who had more discretion about where investment was appropriate. What a sad day for the Lower East Side! KATYA PETERSON

As elected and enforcement officials work to ensure laws and procedures are in place to prevent future Rivington House scenarios in other New York neighborhoods and four separate investigations are underway into The Allure Group and how the critical deed restriction that allowed for the sale of a protected healthcare facility was lifted, Neighbors to Save Rivington House and elected officials will continue to press for the home to be returned to the community.

“The loss of a community healthcare facility at Rivington House is simply unacceptable,” said Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer, who has introduced deed restriction reform legislation (Int. 1182) with Councilmember Margaret Chin. “I will not stop fighting until we make this community whole and we reform the city’s laws on deed restrictions. What happened to Rivington House must not be allowed to happen again.”

Council Member Margaret Chin said, “I stand with the members of our community who deserve to know exactly what happened at Rivington House, including why this neighborhood asset was allowed to be flipped to make way for luxury condos,” said Council Member Margaret Chin. “Along with my fellow elected officials, I am continuing to push the Administration for answers, and to pursue all options to return Rivington House to the community that welcomed it, and invested in it. I thank Neighbors to Save Rivington House and University Settlement for helping to lead this petition effort that shows the depth and breadth of community outrage over the greed and false promises made by Allure Group and others.”

“We continue to need answers and action after the terrible closure of Rivington House,” said New York State Senator Daniel Squadron. “Healthcare at Rivington House has been an important community priority and should have been protected. I thank my colleagues, the Neighbors to Save Rivington House, University Settlement, and community members for continuing the push.”

New York State Assemblymember Alice Cancel added, “All actions concerning the deed restrictions must be halted immediately and it must be restored to a care facility. The closed door backroom deal has tainted any agreement the city has made.”

Neighbors to Save Rivington House formed out of groups of concerned community residents, community organizations and leaders who came together to keep Rivington House on the Lower East Side, knowing first-hand how vital the home was to the people who lived and worked there.

“We will not let this go unchallenged. The people who were hurt, who will be hurt by this apparently have no voice that was deemed worth listening to. So ours will just have to get louder. We won’t go away,” said K Webster, President Sara Roosevelt Park Coalition.

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