“There’s now a money trail possibly helping to explain the de Blasio administration’s mishandling of Rivington House. The former nursing home for AIDS patients was sold for $116 million to luxury developers after the city’s Department of Administrative Services (DCAS) lifted a deed restriction.

The Daily News reports that influential lobbyist James Capalino “steered $50,000 in donations to Mayor de Blasio after pressing the city for a deed change that allows one of his clients to turn a building restricted for use as a nursing home into luxury condos.” And according to the Wall Street Journal, the former property owner, Joel Landau, contributed $4950 to the de Blasio campaign in 2013.”

For further information and with thanks go to the Lo-Down.

Thank you to Ed Litvak and the Lo-Down for an exhaustive reporting job.

“After months of silence from the administration of Mayor Bill de Blasio, city officials finally appear to be taking at least a somewhat serious look at the loss of a community facility on Rivington Street.

As The Lo-Down first reported Dec. 18, the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) lifted a deed restriction on the former Rivington House nursing home building at 45 Rivington St. The onetime facility for AIDS patients, was sold to the Allure Group last year. The firm briefly operated a general services nursing home from the building but re-sold the property to luxury developers in a $118 million deal that came to light last month.

Last night at a meeting of Community Board 3, a representative of NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer passed out a letter written to DCAS Commissioner Lisette Camilo on March 7. “Based on the facts and circumstances of the sale as we understand them,” Stringer wrote, “this matter requires greater transparency and disclosure to the general public.”

to read more:

http://www.thelodownny.com/leslog/2016/03/comptroller-investigates-citys-role-in-sale-of-former-rivington-house-facility.html

Other coverage:

http://www.wsj.com/articles/manhattan-land-deal-is-examined-1458694201

http://therealdeal.com/2016/03/23/stringer-examining-deal-that-led-to-vankes-116m-purchase-of-les-dev-site/

http://www.habitatmag.com/Publication-Content/Legal-Financial/2016/2016-March/Nursing-Probe

https://www.morningstar.com/news/dow-jones/TDJNDN_2016032214173/manhattan-land-deal-is-examined.html

It looks like we have a volunteer Sign Language interpreter (English)! Thank you Jina (and Wendy).

APRIL 12th @ 2pm at the BRC Senior Center

This is your chance to weigh in on this proposal. If this matters to you, your small business, your senior community, your sightless community, children’s community, deaf community let the City know what you think!

32^nd GreenThumb GrowTogether

Saturday, March 19^th, 2016

8:30am-4:00pm

Hostos Community College

500 Grand Concourse

Bronx, NY 10451

 Train: 2, 5 trains at 149^th Street-Grand Concourse

If you plan on attending, please pre-register by clicking here, it’s an affordable $5 and you get breakfast, lunch, and a t-shirt!  We do accept walk-ins for $7, however you are not guaranteed breakfast, lunch, or a t-shirt.

I hope to see many of you there!  Download the full PDF of the conference guide to help you get an idea of the many amazing workshops that will be on offer that day.

Anthony Reuter is the Lower Manhattan & Staten Island Outreach Coordinator for GreenThumb
T 212.602.5324 C 929.295.1369 F 212.602.5334 E anthony.reuter@parks.nyc.gov

NYC Parks
GreenThumb
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New York, NY 10038
www.greenthumbnyc.org

Mailing Address:

The Arsenal

Attn: GreenThumb

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32nd GreenThumb GrowTogether- March 19th 2016

We had a good evening listening to one another about what we’ve learned as active Parks organizations. Terrific group of new Park advocates in attendance at The Arsenal.

Thanks Partnership for Parks!

PARTNERSHIPS ACADEMY (A joint program of City Parks Foundation and NYC Parks) offers TRAININGS AND WORKSHOPS.

HOW TO START OR JOIN A COMMUNITY PARK GROUP

Panelists:

Sally Fisher and Chris Whitney from Inwood Hill Park

Diana Carulli from East River Coalition

K Webster Sara Roosevelt Park Community Coalition

SDR Coalition is grateful to NYCommons for the chance to collaborate on an important undertaking in NYC. We thank member Wendy Brawer of Green Map System for spearheading our application!

We also welcome Kevin Tobar Pesantez of University Settlements’ Project Home as organizer for the SDR Park Coalition’s Stanton Street Park Building Task Force. You can contact Kevin at ktpesantez@universitysettlement.org for more information.

SDR has been invited to collaorate with NYCommons  on workshops to help New Yorkers learn to protect and expand publicly owned and controlled land and buildings in our neighborhoods. NYCommons is a collaboration between Common Cause/NY, the Community Development Project (CDP) at the Urban Justice Center, and 596 Acres, Inc. The next phase of our work includes focusing on 2-3 neighborhoods to pilot workshops where we spotlight means to participate effectively in current land use processes, as well as challenges shared by many community groups working around local land use struggles.

Background. NYCommons spent a year conducting research through meetings with over 100 organizations and community activists across NYC. Through the initial outreach and research, they identified public assets that present important opportunities for public participation and community input in many communities.

SDR Coalition will join with NYCommons as co-hosts of workshops focused on helping to foster an understanding of what neighbors can do to ensure that public assets continue to be a resource for their communities.

NYCommons will collaborate with us to help local residents learn how decisions about these properties are made and how residents can participate in the process.

NYCommons has developed a deep network of New Yorkers focusing their advocacy on public real estate assets, land use, housing rights, community participation, and neighborhood-based advocacy.

Gotham Gazette: “First Look At The Two-Way Bike Lane Proposed For Chrystie Street”

Manhattan Community Board 3 Transportation Committee Meeting

March 8, 2016   6:30 pm   

Grand Street Settlement Cornerstone

Seward Park Extension

56 Essex Street (corner of Grand)