From the Lo-Down:
[Mayor] de Blasio …“we will put in facilities for senior affordable housing, additional, into the community and for additional nursing home capacity of 200 beds or more… to compensate for what happened here, because it wasn’t right.”
[Council Member] Chin … addressed the bigger picture. “Mr. Mayor,” she said, “you heard from the community. We’re not giving up on Rivington House. We have to find a way.”
We deeply appreciate every one of these efforts but CM Chin is correct. Our view on a way forward:
Excerpted dialogue between the Mayor and Council Member Chin:
Chin: “You can invite the people who purchased that building to come in and talk with us and see if we can build a model 21st century nursing facility for our senior with special needs.
Because that company is from China I think they want to do the right thing. But if the mayor reaches out to them. they might want to come in and talk to you and I am more than willing to sit down.”
Mayor: …I have no problem offering them that they could have a better relationship with the community and with the administration if they came in and considered a different outcome.
Chin: So we’ll follow up mayor?
Mayor: Yes of course.”
Neighbors to Save Rivington House “Asks”
Immediate:
1) DOB accountability to the neighborhood via our electeds: CM, MBP and/or Community Board. Commissioner Chandler promised “an investigation as to what they are planning” and inspections so they don’t “exceeded the scope of their permit” .
We’ve seen this companies idea of “exploratory” before.
Short-term:
2) The meeting with Mayor de Blasio, China Vanke, CM Chin, and delegates of the Neighbors to Save RivingtonHouse. The mayor is clearly capable of pushback when he feels something is wrong. He needs to use that skill here. He HAS the bully pulpit. If he chose to challenge this company? It would be a win/win for everyone. They need goodwill in NYC – not a building that will be in dispute forever in a scruffy park (and I suspect the neighboring garden would get a LOT scruffier).
As China Vanke’s LinkedIn page proudly proclaims:
“Built around principles, China Vanke is featured with putting morals and ethics before profits. The Company believes that its success depends on its commitment to core values, resistance to temptations, and fair return based on its professionalism. The Company strives to be the most favourite company of customers, investors and employees, and the most respected company of society through self-regulation, enhanced transparency and a healthy and focused business development model. Thanks to its excellent corporate governance and high ethics codes, the Company was selected as one of “China’s Most Respected Enterprises” for five consecutive years and received the award of “China’s Best Corporate Citizen” for four consecutive years.”