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January 17, 2008
Pfizer v. Vito for Rights to Old Pfizer Plant
Although the 15-acre Williamsburg property that Pfizer is letting go of as it says goodbye to Brooklyn seems destined to one day be turned into affordable housing, an article in the Observer notes that there’s a battle brewing about who gets to control the redevelopment. Pfizer has put out an RFP seeking private developers to build a mixed-use, mixed-income complex on the site, but Assemblyman Vito Lopez wants the state to seize the site via eminent domain and be in charge of issuing an RFP that would call for around 1,700 affordable housing units. Pfizer said in a statement that the company finds it “extremely puzzling that a legislator would propose a government seizure of private property through eminent domain to ostensibly re-develop the properties with the same types of uses we are already considering.” Puzzling indeed. The insidious creep of E.D.
Pfizer Offering Williamsburg Plant Site for Affordable Housing [NY Observer]
Will Pfizer Need Anti-Depressants Over Brooklyn Property? [Curbed]
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Comments
More housing projects. Don't these NY idiot politicians learn from history?
Here's what they should do instead:
1) Take that 15 acres and put it back into the city's street grid.
2) Divide the each of the blocks up into smaller lots and then sell them individually to multiple developers.
3) Require mixed uses and also require that a certain percentage (TBD) of the units be affordable to not only the lower income class but the MIDDLE class as well.
Of course, this smart idea will never happen and instead something dumb and inferior will prevail in this city.
Posted by: guest at January 17, 2008 10:19 AM
When it is for the public good and you are seizing the property from crumby pharma like pfizer that doesn't have an ethical limb in their no-good corporate structure, then who cares. Take an enema.
Posted by: guest at January 17, 2008 10:25 AM
It seems on the face of it that Pfizer is trying to do the right thing here. They could have just sold the site to anyone willing to pay for it, who could then do whatever they want, which probably wouldn't be affordable housing. Vito seems to want to be the king of affordable housing, which is admirable, but let's leave eminent domain out of it. Especially here, where he seems to be preaching to the choir.
I do disagree with the first poster his calling affordable housing "projects". All affordable housing is not projects, which are solely under the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA). If we continue to dismiss truly affordable housing as projects, with all of the negative baggage that brings, we are encouraging developers and builders to continue to build crap, or even worse, not build anything. Real "affordable housing" is needed for a vast range of incomes and people. The kinds of buildings that can cover can include high rises, low rises, single family homes, like the Nehemiah homes in ENY, as well as 4 family homes.
I hope the Pfizer site is developed with innovative design that allows families to live in spaces they can be proud of, hopefully utilizing eco friendly technology, and imaginative use of space. If done right, it could be a model for affordable housing and retail space for our city's future.
Posted by: Montrose Morris at January 17, 2008 10:44 AM
10:25 Yes, all corporations are evil. Are you in third grade?
Please abstain from any and all life saving medicines manufactured by Pfizer.
Posted by: guest at January 17, 2008 11:00 AM
Wowzer, the knee-jerks have fired their unguided missles. As MM points out, the term "projects" is associated with NYCHA, which seems to have nothing to do with this site, at least so far. Also, no developer has been selected so no designer has been hired. It is entirely possible that one or all of 10:19's suggestions will come to pass. Don't these nattering nabobs of negativity learn from history?
Also, it bears pointing out that Pfizer was historically a very good corporate citizen in Brooklyn. Although the borough is bigger than most cities, there are few large companies that are (or were, in this case) headquartered here. Pfizer gave a lot of money to local groups and causes. 10:25 knows not they speak.
Let's face it: Vito is empire building, something he has proven pretty good at, like it or not. Personally, I don't.
Posted by: guest at January 17, 2008 11:46 AM
just to give you the latest example of how pfizer is "evil," lets look at their drug for fibromyalgia called "lyrica." I'm sure you have seen one of the commercials for it since they spent over 50 million on their ad campaign for the drug. this drug was originally turned down by the FDA because trials showed that on a scale of 1-10 lyrica reduced pain by a factor of 2 where the placebo reduced pain by a factor of 1. The FDA said the results were unimpressive especially considering the very real side effects, most notably weight gain. However, low and behold, along came a senior official of the FDA who overruled the initial reviewers. Can you imagine taking a pain reliever for a headache that only reduced you pain by a fifth and also made you gain 10 pounds!!? How did this get approved? By corporate lobbying and some lame appointed FDA official. Pfizer made $1.8 billion off of lyrica in 2007. This is a company you can trust!
Posted by: guest at January 17, 2008 11:51 AM
Vito Lopez is a classic poverty pimp. He has his fingers in every publicly-financed social program in that community and there's non way he wants to miss out on a piece of this action.
Posted by: Flatbushwhacker at January 17, 2008 12:32 PM
And does fibromyalgia exist? I don't think that's been proven either. So an ineffectual drug for a (perhaps) non-existent ailment...
Posted by: guest at January 17, 2008 2:11 PM
Excpet that Lyrica had already been approved for other treatments, in both the US and Europe. Pfizer actually went beyond the normal approach in seeking extensive conditions for the new drug- normally you would just look at your best case and stop there.
Posted by: guest at January 17, 2008 2:26 PM
2:26 you are full of shit. It was still ineffectual no matter what it was treating. You think they asked for permission to have it approved for fibromyalgia because they are just a good company. They did it so that they could tell doctors that it has been approved for fibromyalgia.
Posted by: guest at January 17, 2008 2:43 PM
Pfizer is a public company not vito lopez pocket.
He he crying for one reason, they not budge for his political ego.
Not he or Niederman the rabbi who put in money by a previous partnership with Lopez in Sheafar development.
They can protest what ever they want public support is not for them, they don't mind the people they mind them self.
Posted by: guest at January 17, 2008 4:22 PM
So you are saying perhaps Karl Fisher won't be allowed to build another monument to banal floorspace in Williamsburg?
Posted by: guest at January 17, 2008 4:52 PM
I don't understand
Lopez is not a leader in the area, Annette Robinson and Joe Lentol
what have he to do with this ?
Money Graber!
Posted by: guest at January 17, 2008 4:54 PM
Lopez is head of the Kings County Democratic Party. He's on a big power trip this week too.
Posted by: guest at January 17, 2008 5:36 PM
4:54, I believe that the Pfizer site is in the 53rd Assembly District and even if it is just outside of the district, Lopez is the chair of the Assembly Committee on Housing.
Posted by: g man at January 17, 2008 6:16 PM
The so called community leaders who are just white collar thiefs like Kestenbaum from the ODA or Rabbi Neiderman from the UJO together with Lopez are trying now another thivery . I hope this time Pfizer will fight back these Hand in your pocket guys
Posted by: guest at January 18, 2008 8:24 AM
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