The following is a press release issued by BPW:
At a two-hour meeting with Maimonides executives yesterday, representatives of the Boro Park West Community Association (BPW) called for a complete halt on further Hospital construction.
Speaking for BPW, Rabbi William Handler of Congregation Yetev Lev D’Satmar said: “The Jewish community of BPW has suffered from the blockbusting tactics of the Hospital for almost 50 years, and any further expansion by Maimonides will seriously imperil the future viability of our neighborhood.
“Maimonides has pushed out hundreds of Jewish families from our area, endangering the existence of the many small synagogues.”
“There is something terribly wrong with the attitude of the Hospital when it feels that it can simply go ahead and destroy a thriving neighborhood of men, women, and children, in order to advance its corporate growth. Maimonides needs to go back to the drawing board and reconsider its development strategy.”
Speaking for Maimonides, Senior VP Derek Goins claimed that Maimonides was doing its best to factor-in the community’s needs, and that he had personally improved many buildings in the area. VP’s Eric Scalettar and Douglas Jablon said that their efforts were aimed at creating a better Hospital for Brooklyn.
Rabbi Yechiel Kaufman of BPJCC was joined by Mrs. Esther Friedman from BPW. They both called for further meetings to develop a coordinated strategy that would allow Maimonides Hospital to create the infrastructure it needs, without destroying the surrounding Jewish community.
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11 Responses
It’s about time they speak face to face, rather than just badmouthing Maimonides in public.
We’ll see if Maimonides really intends to cooperate with the Yidden in the neighborhood or whether this meeting ws just PR to quiet things down.
We Really should take care of this issue before it’s too late.
What Maimonides is doing is terrible and with no consideration of the neighbors at all.
FLATBUSHER:
Are you serious?
The Maimonides parking lot is located on 10th Avenue, between 47th and 48th street. Maimonides leveled over one-half of an entire square block to build the parking lot and the warhouse immediately behind it.
Perhaps, you should get out of Flatbush and take the time to get a better look around Boro Park.
They could use another few parking lots like that. As much as they don’t want another large building in the neighborhood, that would take care of what is one of the largest issues that many have with Maimonides – PARKING!
O.K., Flatbusher:
I see you’re paying attention now. You agree that Maimonides has leveled entire portions of the community to expand their real estate footprint. And you agree that they have tossed-out hundreds of Jewish families to get what they wanted.
So, you’re only question is: “Why has the Boro Park West community been silent until now?–“Ma Yom MIYoMaim?”
Well, Flatbusher, the community has not been silent.
About ten years ago, the community fought back when Maimonides Corporation wanted to take-over an entire public street on Tenth Avenue, to convert it into a private promenade for the Hospital.
Maimonides actually barricaded a busy street (10th Ave, between 48th-49th sts) used by school buses and local traffic to get around the neighborhood. Thank G-D, the local Yidden defeated them, and they were forced to give the street back to the community.
So, everyone thought that was the end of it. Maimonides had learned its lesson, and they would confine their building and construction to their own square block, between 9th Avenue and Fort Hamilton Parkway, from 48th Street to 49th Street.
However, just a couple of weeks ago, this corporate jaggernaut struck again. They sent certified letters to the people in the neighborhood, notifying them that they were taking over an apartment building two blocks away from the Hospital, on Tenth Avenue, corner 46th Street. They intended to covert it to a Hospital building, complete with a huge outdoor elevator that would encroach on the adjoining property–real chutzpah!
That’s when the neighborhood decided that this had to stopped, once and for all. It was now or never.
We’ll soon find out whether it’s Custer’s last stand or El Alamein.
Thank G-D, its Chodesh Adar.
DEAR FLATBUSHER
Do me a favor and come into boro park and have a view of the whole area around maimoniden check out 47th Street, 48th Street and 49th Street, and see what they are doing to a beautiful neighborhood.
They recently purchased a building on 46th street and are interested in purchasing the surrounding houses. Do you think that this is enough proof?
To DR.
I see from your two posts (no. 1 and no. 7) that you are full of understanding and compassion for the Hospital. How about some even-handed compassion for the poosr peasants in Boro Park West, who are being trampled by this huge billion-dollar corporation called Maimonides.
To answer your question about parking directly, the Hospital has a huge empty lot right behind their administration building, which they’re keeping empty. They’re not developing it. They prefer to buy more houses two blocks away from the Hospital, and to hell wiith the community.
By the way, what does DR stand for are you a doctor?
Flatbusher (no. 11):
So now you want to blame the victims!
It’s the fault of the poor Yidden who see the handwriting on the wall.
Maimonides Hospital has been blockbusting the neighborhood for decades, using their huge war chest and a group of secret real estate agents who hid the fact that they were buying for Maimonides and who paid above-market prices to make sure that people would sell and get out.
Then they kicked-out the tenants of those buildings.
Then, they built huge, ugly buildings with huge air conditioning units that disturb the peace and quiet and the sleep of the neighbors.
Their employees caome into the neighborhood and grab all the parking places, because Maimonides refuses to build on their empty lot and give them free parking facilities.
Finally they go and buy a new building 2 blocks further into the community for $2,400,000 from a mysterious agent, who bought it only 7 months before for $1,400,000.
In colloquial terminology, this is called “making you an offer you cannot refuse.”
I don’t get it.
You complain when Maimondies expands to allow for more patients, and yet you’re still complaining when you’re stick in the ER for hours because there’s no available bed to get admitted into.
If you don’t want them to expand their facilities, then don’t complain when you wait 48hrs for an available bed.
I coudnt understand. This issue if you go in any hospitol you could see thay building more buildings thay expendig thay making porking lots . I bless that nobody should get to become in a hospitol but god forbidd if yes do we not need there service evry hospitol has parking lots is somebody thinking to complain in manhatton or in N.J. By any hospitol. I see this issue pepole are trying to get ViCHTIG thay making meetings & calling for more meetings its enough with that kind of things