Williamsburg, Brooklyn NY – 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 [brownstoner]
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Rabbi David Niederman, Executive Director of UJO of Williamsburg, argued his reasoning in a phone interview with VIN News. Pfizer has made millions in past 30 years, and created a substantial amount of jobs, all of which will be missing from the community now. For years, UJO had tried to negotiate the sale of the property with Pfizer, in their efforts to create more affordable housing, but it never materialized. Soliciting bids from real estate developers, instead of releasing it via eminent domain, will significantly raise prices in a community that has tremendous housing problems among both its Jewish and Hispanic neighborhoods.
Pfizer is a longtime, well known philanthropic company. This is the least they can do for their own community, a location that has been their home for over 3 decades.
Exactly* what 12:52 said. Capitalism brings people out of poverty, not socialism.
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Agree.
*Exactly* what 12:52 said. Capitalism brings people out of poverty, not socialism.
Rabbi Niederman, I have a question. Didn’t King Achav invoke eminent domain in buying the prpoerty? And his punishment was being killed and his blood licked by the dogs of Shomron. Rabbi Niederman, I suggest you don’t steal any property, even from goyim, even by buying, even for your community.
well said Anan 11:20 AM
Phizer should do whatever it wants, whatever is financially the most beneficial to them and their shareholders with this property.
Vito whatever his name is should shut his mouth, eminent domain should not be used to steal private property for resale to constituents, eminent domain should only be invoked on an absolute need basis.
Once people start stealing property, or strong-arming property owners into underselling assets they are essentially abandoning capitalism for their own selfish purposes.
Oy a Bruch!
Thanks Rabbi Neiderman for what you do day and night for the community at large.
Paul
Didn’t Pfeizer acquire, atleast part of the property, by invoking eminent domain?
In other words, the poor leaders of the Williamsburg community would like to enrich themselves by developing the property themselves instead of allowing the free market to choose which developer wins the right in open bidding. Instead of buying it through eminent domain, why not just make a RFP themselves?