Protecting and improving the community for the people who live and work here

For generations, Mohawk Indians have left their reservations in or near Canada to raise skyscrapers in the heart of New York City

From Tribal Link Foundation…

To see Photos click here.

How does this move forward to prevent this from happening elsewhere?

NYTimes

Rivington House…sold at great profit to a condominium developer — leading to questions about the arrangement, a moratorium on new deed changes, and state and federal investigations.

….Melissa Mark-Viverito, the Council speaker, suggested there would be a hearing specifically addressing the city’s handling of deed restrictions.

“There’s room here to do some oversight,” Ms. Mark-Viverito…

But the hearing, which was tentatively scheduled for this week, was postponed until the fall.

…several Council members said they were recently told by Ms. Mark-Viverito’s office that when the hearing does occur, the Council would not be delving into the events surrounding how the nursing home came to lose the deed restriction, which had prevented any use for it other than nonprofit residential health care.

…the speaker’s office was concerned that the hearing would give renewed attention to an issue that has been problematic for Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat whose administration approved the deed change that allowed the Allure Group, a nursing home operator, to sell the building to the condominium developer for $116 million. Each requested anonymity in order to discuss the private exchanges.

“I want to get to the bottom of what happened at Rivington, St. Nicholas and other sites,” said Councilman Ben Kallos, an Upper East Side Democrat whose committee oversees the Citywide Administrative Services Department, which grants deed restrictions. “The Council has a responsibility to hold an oversight hearing on deed restrictions.”…

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