Letters To The Editor
To The Editor:
Comment
To The Editor:
In the August 29 edition of your paper, reporter Stephen Witt wrote two articles “Ratner Backers Get Rent-Free Headquarters” and “Blind Eye to Homeless?”. In his two articles he misses Forest City Ratner for the trees.
The story that Brooklyn United for Innovative Local Development (BUILD) has been given free office space in their partner Bruce Ratner’s building at the site of his proposed development is news because this organization that professes to be working with, and on behalf of, the community is receiving the largesse of the developer.
This certainly leads to skepticism by the community. What was wrong with BUILD’s office on Vanderbilt Avenue? Is Mr. Ratner providing free rent to any other community groups? I can think of many who could benefit from such an arrangement.
Making a PR gambit on behalf of Mr. Ratner, in Mr. Witt’s second article, James Caldwell, president of BUILD, accuses Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn (DDDB), opponents of Mr. Ratner’s proposed 17-story skyscraper (or is it 20?) and arena proposal in Prospect Heights, of failing to address the issue of a few homeless men who have begun living on Pacific Street. (This stretch of Pacific Street will no longer exist if Mr. Ratner’s proposal gains approval, instead it will be an arena and luxury high-rises.)
Homelessness is a serious issue in New York. Mr. Caldwell’s criticism would be funny if it weren’t out of line and hypocritical.
Are Mr. Witt and Mr. Caldwell aware of the fact that Mr. Caldwell’s partner, Mr. Ratner, is asking the state to condemn a homeless shelter in the development footprint, which houses around 400 people, including families?
Are Mr. Witt and Mr. Caldwell aware of the fact that Mr. Caldwell's partner, Mr. Ratner, provides no housing for homeless individuals or families in any of the 7,300 housing units of his proposed development plan?
Are Mr. Witt and Mr. Caldwell aware of the fact that Mr. Ratner’s friends at the MTA have kept the north side of Pacific Street, for which they are responsible, an utter mess for decades, leaving it up to residents to periodically hold mass clean-ups? (By the way, why does the MTA keep it such a mess?)
DDDB’s mission is very clear and we are doing our best to fulfill it. Mr. Caldwell’s organization, BUILD, has a clear mission to “generate employment opportunities to combat the high unemployment in our community.” This is a crucial need in our community and a very important mission. But BUILD has been in existence only since January 2004, one month after Mr. Ratner unveiled his plan at Vanderbilt Yards.
It has now been 20 months and the only job opportunities they’ve generated for our community, as far as one can tell, is for employees of BUILD.
Ratner gives BUILD free rent, and Stephen Witt, missing the picture, gives Ratner a free ride.
Daniel Goldstein
Pacific Street
In the August 29 edition of your paper, reporter Stephen Witt wrote two articles “Ratner Backers Get Rent-Free Headquarters” and “Blind Eye to Homeless?”. In his two articles he misses Forest City Ratner for the trees.
The story that Brooklyn United for Innovative Local Development (BUILD) has been given free office space in their partner Bruce Ratner’s building at the site of his proposed development is news because this organization that professes to be working with, and on behalf of, the community is receiving the largesse of the developer.
This certainly leads to skepticism by the community. What was wrong with BUILD’s office on Vanderbilt Avenue? Is Mr. Ratner providing free rent to any other community groups? I can think of many who could benefit from such an arrangement.
Making a PR gambit on behalf of Mr. Ratner, in Mr. Witt’s second article, James Caldwell, president of BUILD, accuses Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn (DDDB), opponents of Mr. Ratner’s proposed 17-story skyscraper (or is it 20?) and arena proposal in Prospect Heights, of failing to address the issue of a few homeless men who have begun living on Pacific Street. (This stretch of Pacific Street will no longer exist if Mr. Ratner’s proposal gains approval, instead it will be an arena and luxury high-rises.)
Homelessness is a serious issue in New York. Mr. Caldwell’s criticism would be funny if it weren’t out of line and hypocritical.
Are Mr. Witt and Mr. Caldwell aware of the fact that Mr. Caldwell’s partner, Mr. Ratner, is asking the state to condemn a homeless shelter in the development footprint, which houses around 400 people, including families?
Are Mr. Witt and Mr. Caldwell aware of the fact that Mr. Caldwell's partner, Mr. Ratner, provides no housing for homeless individuals or families in any of the 7,300 housing units of his proposed development plan?
Are Mr. Witt and Mr. Caldwell aware of the fact that Mr. Ratner’s friends at the MTA have kept the north side of Pacific Street, for which they are responsible, an utter mess for decades, leaving it up to residents to periodically hold mass clean-ups? (By the way, why does the MTA keep it such a mess?)
DDDB’s mission is very clear and we are doing our best to fulfill it. Mr. Caldwell’s organization, BUILD, has a clear mission to “generate employment opportunities to combat the high unemployment in our community.” This is a crucial need in our community and a very important mission. But BUILD has been in existence only since January 2004, one month after Mr. Ratner unveiled his plan at Vanderbilt Yards.
It has now been 20 months and the only job opportunities they’ve generated for our community, as far as one can tell, is for employees of BUILD.
Ratner gives BUILD free rent, and Stephen Witt, missing the picture, gives Ratner a free ride.
Daniel Goldstein
Pacific Street
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