BRDC and Community Board 10’s Meeting to Rezone the Property in Bay Ridge
It has taken me while to finish writing about BRDC and the Community Board 10 meeting because there are some strange things here. And a lot of people KNOW what’s happening, but aren’t speaking out!
1) This building is a mosque. Even searches online show that:
When BRDC originally presented the community center to Community Board 10, they never mentioned a mosque. In 2023, this is how the center was described:
Last week, the executive director said that a mosque was renting from BRDC. The mosque’s name was not said. BRDC lists $60,000 in rent each year for the mosque. See here: https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/832708042
BRDC originally said that they were a community center that was going to have activities for the community and that they were going to partner with other groups. You can see their activities here: https://www.instagram.com/bayridgecommunity
2) Now BRDC has their office on the second floor at 6806 – 5th Avenue. See here: https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/832708042
The Chamber of Commerce shows this: https://shorturl.at/Iouw7
Google maps shows that BRDC has their office at this location for a few years. In July 2022, they were not there:
Strangely, the phone number for BRDC’s office on 5th Avenue and the mosque at Fort Hamilton are the same number on the Chamber of Commerce website. See here: https://shorturl.at/2W4R3
The Fort Hamilton Islamic Center of Bay Ridge has a Facebook page that was made in April 2021.
NYC Council funds are not be available for the construction of a mosque or religious institution. Former Councilman Justin Brannan was aware of that. The current council representative and Senator Andrew Gounardes are also aware of this, so why haven’t they spoken up?
People I know who practice Islam in Brooklyn believe that even if your thoughts are in the wrong place, Allah (God) is aware and you need to correct that.
During the CB 10 meeting last week, a CB 10 member asked what other organizations were doing this. The developer said that some synagogues had done this.
Some members of Community Board 10 know that this is a mosque and it can not receive money from NYC Council for construction. Why haven’t they spoken up?
On Friday nights when the mosque has services, the street around the building is blocked with double-parked cars. At the Community Board 10 meeting, the director said people walk to center.
3) It’s nice that BRDC gives out food two Saturdays per month. The flyers are on their Instagram account.
There are many other food pantries in our area that are open more than two days a month and they haven’t received this money. One in particular has shared several times that the demand at the food pantry is greater than the funding provided.
2026 NYC Council Funds to BRDC: $182,500
2025 NYC Council Funds to BRDC: $185,000
2024 NYC Council Funds to BRDC: $110,000
2023 NYC Council Funds to BRDC – $105,000 (they went from $5000 to $105,000 in one year)
2022 NYC Council Funds to BRDC – $5000:
4) The people who pick up food at BRDC do not enter the building.
Years ago, people stood on line for food outside, due to Covid restrictions. Covid has been over for years. Why aren’t people allowed to enter BRDC’s building? Click to see the video:
BRDC has been lining up people outside their neighbor’s homes, when they could have had people register for a time and not allowed these long lines. They also could have asked people to wait across the street (as there are no homes across the street). Politicians should have assisted with this a long time ago.
There is a front door and side door in which people can flow in and out of the building easily. It looks like they haven’t updated their distribution plan from years ago.
Click to play the video:
There is no registration for this food pantry – people just line up. At the Community Board 10 meeting, the director gave a very high number for the number of visitors to the panty/ A volunteer explained that for each person that received food, they count five people for their family.
The plans for this building’s structure and how it is being used have changed. Hopefully, CB 10 will not rezone it, as this residential area can’t handle the traffic now, can you imagine how much more traffic there will be with a daycare center there?
Hugs,
marlene
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