This newspaper covered the LICH’s demise for two years. This altruism is now turned around to attack the community. ![]() He pointed out that the development plan takes advantage of the flexibility offered the hospital by the community – keeping their footprint out of the historic district to allow them to grow as needed. Roy Sloane, current CHA president, brought this up. What has been front and center for me – ever since the May meeting – are questions surrounding Cobble Hill’s designation as an Historic District. You will probably read in other local media about the rest of the meeting, quiet statements from the Cobble Hill Association, pleadings about the need to achieve consensus from the councilman, and some audience participation, in the form of questions, with little anger or passion evident, save from one woman in red. One might even confuse him for a concerned resident, he seemed to understand both sides – but architects, like lawyers, usually will work for whoever pays, so he dutifully obeyed his paymaster. Kaplan, who almost sounded like one of the resigned, local homeowners as he went through his required drill. This time, having foreknowledge, most everyone sat resignedly, listening as details about square footage and redesigning open space were patiently explained by the grandmotherly Mr. Dan Kaplan, a senior partner at FXFOWLE, the company chosen to design their LICH project, methodically went through a slideshow similar to the iconoclastic presentation he made last May at a previous CHA meeting – one which stunned the Cobble Hill community as they had no real idea of what they were in for. I watched an audience of Cobble Hill homeowners who for the most part sat patiently, listening as the FORTIS architect presented plans for the transformation of the hospital grounds into residential skyscrapers. Seated are Jerry Armer and Roy Sloane, of the Cobble Hill Association. FORTIS’ wrecking crew, including the headAkiva Kobre, who heads an associated company that will furnish the apartments Terrence Storey, CFO and chief money-man, and the kindly architect Dan Kaplan. He is hedging his bets, agreeing with the Cobble Hill audience that they are in a horrible situation, yet at the same time urging the zoning change process (ULURP) sought by FORTIS, calling it the best of a bad situation. Lander himself comes from a background of affordable housing, beginning his career at the Fifth Avenue Committee, a community development corporation. He will ultimately be either a community hero or the fall guy in this battle. Brad is highly intelligent, has worked his way up to the number two position in the city council, and presides over a district that includes both the Gowanus and Cobble Hill – two areas with tremendous land use issues. ![]() Brad represents Cobble Hill in the NY City Council. ![]() The most important politician in the room was Brad Lander. I saw some people I knew, mostly elected officials and their staffs, including Eric Adams and Diana Reyna (the Borough President’s deputy), Jo Anne Simon, Steve Levin and Daniel Squadron. It was standing room only by the time I got there, a little after 7 pm. The meeting was held in a large room at the Brooklyn Montessori School, at Bergen and Court. Notice the contrast with the surrounding area. Fortis’ slide showing their proposed towers. Last night I attended what was billed as the first in a series of “Public Planning Meetings for the Long Island College Hospital Site (LICH).” The meeting was a co-production of the Cobble Hill Association (CHA), local elected officials, and FORTIS, the real estate development company chosen by NY State to redevelop the former LICH properties.
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