The Coalition to Stop the Blood Center Tower

A coalition of neighborhood groups fighting to stop the 334 ft commercial Blood Center Tower. Join us to protect JREC, St. Catherine's Park, and our midblocks.

[The Coalition to Stop the Blood Center Tower @stopBCtower]

@AlisonDBell @NYBloodCenter Thank you @AlisonDBell, 500 million dollars!

[The Coalition to Stop the Blood Center Tower @stopBCtower]

.@CB8M is holding a Special Meeting of the Board now, to continue the discussion on the @NYBloodCenter rezoning application. Representatives are expected to answer outstanding questions the community members have been asking since Sep. 2020 and have gone unanswered since then.

[The Coalition to Stop the Blood Center Tower @stopBCtower]

.@CB8M has until June 28th to issue its official recommendation, but the proposal was, almost unanimously, disapproved.

[The Coalition to Stop the Blood Center Tower @stopBCtower]

Thank you to all Community Board Members that have sat throughout very long meetings, listened to the communities concerns, and tried to get answers from the @NYBloodCenter and @LongfellowREP

[The Coalition to Stop the Blood Center Tower @stopBCtower]

.@CB8M Member @BillyFreelandNY gives Paul Selver an opportunity to refute the fact that this proposal is not zoning for dollars. And Mr. Selver agrees that with every upzoning there is financial gain!

[The Coalition to Stop the Blood Center Tower @stopBCtower]

The total cost of the entire project would be over seven million dollars.

[The Coalition to Stop the Blood Center Tower @stopBCtower]

Paul Selver says the Blood Center portion of the project would cost around three million dollars to complete. While their current endowment sums to five million dollars.

[The Coalition to Stop the Blood Center Tower @stopBCtower]

"There doesn't seem to be any direct benefit to the local community if this proposal goes forward" Gayle Baron

[The Coalition to Stop the Blood Center Tower @stopBCtower]

According to Paul Selver, @LongfellowREP has never built a tower of the same scale and size as the proposed.

[The Coalition to Stop the Blood Center Tower @stopBCtower]

.@CB8M Member Valerie Mason points out that the petition supporting the project the @NYBloodCenter has on its website does NOT include any information about the project.

[The Coalition to Stop the Blood Center Tower @stopBCtower]

Paul Selver says this is not a done deal and doesn't think there's anything to apologize for if the project is approved.

[The Coalition to Stop the Blood Center Tower @stopBCtower]

.@CB8M Member Marco Tamayo raises the issue of a conflict of interest of an environmental consultant hired by the applicant.

[The Coalition to Stop the Blood Center Tower @stopBCtower]

"They have exhibited disdain for the community, disdain for the community's quality of life." Elizabeth Ashby

[The Coalition to Stop the Blood Center Tower @stopBCtower]

"This is a real tragedy. They can have anything they want under the current regulations and the community would have supported this. Instead, they have taken a path that is extremely destructive of the community." Elizabeth Ashby

[The Coalition to Stop the Blood Center Tower @stopBCtower]

Paul Selver refuses to recognize that there are negative impacts on the community and says he might lose his connection and leave the meeting!

[The Coalition to Stop the Blood Center Tower @stopBCtower]

"The only mitigation is an as-of-right building, within the R8B envelope!" Michele Birnbaum

[The Coalition to Stop the Blood Center Tower @stopBCtower]

"The @NYBloodCenter is asking the community to give up everything, so they don't have to give up anything" Michele Birnbaum

[The Coalition to Stop the Blood Center Tower @stopBCtower]

He says that it's not the @NYBloodCenter intent to turn the tower into a residential building. He says that there are ways to limit this, but it's up to the city to do so.

[The Coalition to Stop the Blood Center Tower @stopBCtower]

Paul Selver says the @NYBloodCenter doesn't know where it will operate during the five years of construction.