FAC Development at 575 Fifth Avenue

Time for the limousine liberals to show their true colors :D

Posted by: Anonymous at February 13, 2007 10:55 AM

I dunno Brownstoner....read the Brooklynian boards and seems to me only 1 person made the claim about the drug addicts and sex offenders which you are repeating and could be considered throwing a 'flame' yourself.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 13, 2007 12:19 PM

Can they guarantee that drug addicts and sex offenders will not be tenants? There are several schools nearby. These schools are also on an upward turn. If parents get wind that predators live nearby, they will go back to sending there kids else where.
Also this location unlike 551 Warren Street is right on the commercial strip. This strip of fifth ave is starting to get developed, hopefully will be a continuation of what happening on 5th to the north. Can we have some guarantees that the homeless or metal handicap will not set up loitering spots in front of this location. Or start soliciting patrons of nearby business.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 13, 2007 1:37 PM

can you guarantee that the brownstone buyer is not a sex criminal, or invite his coke head hedge fund buddies over?

Posted by: Anonymous at February 13, 2007 2:26 PM

i fully agree wtih those in support of this project. supportive housing is oftentimes the nicest buildings on the block being well constructed and monitored by multiple agencies and investors. in building this housing, FAC will have to think through security, services for tenants, etc. this will NOT be a homeless shelter, but great permanent housing. i think some people would be surprised to find out what other buildings in the city are supportive housing. to have a safer neighborhood, you need more of this type of housing, not less!

Posted by: Anonymous at February 13, 2007 3:15 PM

I'm not sure why we should care. Shutting down this project won't address the underlying causes of homelessness and what to do with the mentally disabled. All it will do is move these problems to some other area or areas. But, that said, if you're content to just play a perpetual shell game of moving the problem around from one location to the next, then hey...knock yourself out. On the other hand, if you decide it's time to get serious and address the problem, then vote incompetent ninnys like Tish James out of office and get politically active on a larger scale.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 13, 2007 3:17 PM

1:37PM, it always feels good to pass the buck, to foist your problems off on someone else.

What a wonderful world we live in.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 13, 2007 3:25 PM

Yeah, let's just push our problems off on other people in other nabes. That's the ticket.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 13, 2007 3:28 PM

any change, any new building, any alteration, any new store, any thing and you can find people against it.
And you'll find newspapers and now bloggers that will highlight that and make it sound like area is up in arms - to make it more controversial.
Other than mention here and on curbed and a couple of neg commentors -a major neigborhood opposition it does not make.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 13, 2007 3:41 PM

Let knowledge replace fear... put down your torches and pitchforks and go to the meeting tonight.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 13, 2007 4:19 PM

what a stupid plan: way to kill a neighborhood transitioning for the better.

put it on 3rd or 4th avenue, away from very expensive properties that people have bought in the last two years.

what about our concerns as homeowners? we invest in the area, we buy properties and send our kids to the local schools, we pay bigger taxes than brownstone owners do in the freakin' named streets area of the slope and you think we're unreasonable to want to fight this?

Just look at the Armory on 15th for ongoing proof that these types of centers invite complex problems with no easy solutions...I'm totally against it, and think many others will be too, once word spreads about this. especially if the goal posts are changing from the FAC.

damn right i'm a nimby.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 13, 2007 5:22 PM

actually 3:17, this type of housing does a lot to address the underlying issues of how to deal with homelessness on a real level. supportive housing provides them with housing AND services such that tenants are significantly more likely to be successful at, as much as i hate this term, being productive members of society. there is a lot of evidence that this is how to help people break out of the cycle of homelessness.

also, to those concerned about this stopping gentrification/improvements to the neighborhood/etc...you'll find housing much like this in the east village, lower east side, harlem, etc. without ill effects on the neighborhood.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 13, 2007 5:31 PM

1:52 wrote: "residents are more likely to be victims of crimes than to commit them."

Exactly! ...which means the neighborhood will overall be more susceptible to crime. Sex offenders? This is insane...We've already got enough of them living in south slope, in case you didn't know....

I have a little kid, and just moved to the nabe recently. How lovely.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 13, 2007 5:34 PM

Don't get me wrong - I feel really bad for people with these problems - but I'll feel worse for myself if this gets built in my hood and my property loses value. Or if crime goes up (Which in all likelihood it will.)

I don't care what you think of me for feeling this way - I have a right to be protective of my investment and of my kid's safety in this neighborhood.

What will happen when one of the future residents of this facility gets booted for using again, or theft, or violence - you think they'll never return to the area?

You said these places are common on the Lower East Side and elsewhere. Great - take it there.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 13, 2007 5:54 PM

You can actually see my building in the picture above, I spent a lot of money on my apartment, I have a small child, and I'm not too stressed about this. As long as you live in NYC, you are going to be living near criminals and drug dealers. Better to know about them, and have people who are helping them out and keeping an eye on them.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 13, 2007 5:57 PM

What's this obsession with sex offenders? I have worked in a large supportive housing program for mentally ill adults. We didn't have any sex offenders, and in fact we didn't have a lot of drug addicts either. We had a lot of very sad, very vulnerable people struggling with very unpleasant psychiatric symptoms. Supportive housing means these individuals are NOT hanging out on the street, but are inside and well-monitored for medication compliance, etc. FYI, there are highly structured specialty residential programs for mentally ill individuals who also have problems with addiction. Applicants for supportive apartments are extensively screened and those with a history of addiction have to demonstrate that they are involved in treatment and in recovery.

Posted by: Anonymous at February 13, 2007 7:08 PM

6:26,

5:54 here, just trying to chill out and figure out how we can defeat this awful plan. And I continue to take all the bait you guys are dishing out...my bad, I suppose.

OK - provide concrete data to back up your lofty claims from these "reputable institutions." And please, do tell me why there are ongoing problems that are seemingly unsolveable on the block occupied by the Armory, which houses a women's shelter (15th st. between 7th and 8th aves)

Go ahead - keep trying to explain to everyone here why I'm wrong and you are right. and ask the people who live on that block if everything is cool and groovy and lovey dovey.

The armory housing attracts bad behaviour - drug using and drug dealing riffraff, and even armed thieves (yes, it's true...they shot at the cops last year - check the police reports if you don't believe me).

They happen to be visiting the armory residents, and they do their business right on the freakin' street. You can try to spin it any way you want to, but I know the truth - I've seen gnarly shit go down on that block with my own eyes. Why will this place be any different? (Hint to those who are intoxicated with political correctness and/or are on the fence: It won't be.)

Posted by: Anonymous at February 13, 2007 7:24 PM

The following is excerpted from a letter from a community resident and member of the south slope/sunset park CB7 who is writing the Borough president Marty Markowitz about this proposed project, and made this letter public this morning via mass e-mail:

"It appears this project went forward and the ULURP was filed in direct contravention to CB 7's resolutions , of October 2005,that the Fifth Avenue Committee work with the community to develop a plan for this site. The South Slope & Concerned Citizens of GreenWood Heights held a community meeting last night and while the community did express some opposition to FAC's plans, the people were somewhat more upset with your scheduling the public hearing before CB 7 had an opportunity to debate this issue. CB 7's public hearing is set for Thursday 2/15 and the full Board meeting will take place on Wednesday 2/21/07 a day after your hearing. Also your public hearing will result in having members of this community attending 4 meeting in 7 days over a period of time when many people are away as the schools are closed for mid- winter break."

Hmmm...This is yet another reason to put the brakes on this project before anything else gets "approved" under the radar. The way this is going down is complete BS, and unfair; just an obvious disregard for owners/residents in this neighborhood.

How's everyone feel about it now?

Posted by: Anonymous at February 14, 2007 11:51 AM