Did You Want Councilman Brannan to Vote Against Ben Kallos and His Community?
Councilman Ben Kallos represents the Manhattan community where “The Blood Center” monster building and huge tax breaks were voted on this week in NYC Council. Kallos and the Community were firmly against this project.
People hear it’s “The Blood Center” so they automatically think it is GOOD because it will help people. The title doesn’t tell about the deal that went down. Journalists told us the truth on this.
Kallos and the residents WERE NOT against The Blood Center expanding. They were against the huge commercial tower, which takes up two thirds of the 16 story new building on East 67th Street between 1st and 2nd Avenue. See here The area is zoned for seven stories. (A negotiated deal by one Councilmember made it 13 stories)
The Blood Center wanted the extra office space in the building to generate money for Blood Center.
Did you want Councilman Justin Brannan to vote against Ben Kallos and the Manhattan residents? He did.
Brannan didn’t bother discussing his vote – no social media posts or nonsense press release.
Councilman Carlos Menchaca representing Sunset Park stood up and supported Kallos. Menchaca knows what it is like for a Council to vote against the Councilman of an area! Other Councilmembers that stood with Kallos were Bob Holden, Ruben Diaz Sr. and Kalman Yager.
Here’s why NYC Council should have voted against this:
1. Kallos knows his area and if the building couldn’t have been designed to allow sun to only park in the area, then NYC Council should have asked the Blood Center for a redesign. (See here)
2. Errol Louis, reporter for Channel 1 asked Mayor de Blasio about owners of this building. The owners are the same law firm that Mayor de Blasio owes a $400K debt. (See here)
De Blasio said to Errol: “I didn’t even know who their representation was, honestly, until very late in this process. So, it had nothing to do with it.”
3. The Blood Center will be renting out many of the floors to for-profit companies. Commercial office space should be taxed – that’s not part of the Blood Center. David Cruz from Gothamist revealed that the Blood Center would receive $450 million in city and state tax breaks for the next 25 years. (Source)
NYC Council’s Black, Latino and Asian Caucus claimed that the Blood Center will save lives. That is true it will! The Blood Center researches sickle cell disease, which affects many black New Yorkers, politicians should haven’t used those suffering with SCD to push this deal. A deal went down and now this part of the deal has been referred to the Department of Investigations (See here)
Of course unions got in on the action. Councilman Rafael Salamanca shared this photo of the Carpernter’s Union pushing for the Blood Center. The Carpenter’s Union supported Brannan on his re-election (but not his original election).
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Hugs,
marlene
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