All stories about "Vito Lopez"

[Photo courtesy of f.trainer/flickr]

Let's just say the fight for control of the land currently occupied by Pfizer in Williamsburg is not going to pretty to watch. The pharmaceutical giant, which is shutting down the plant, wants to find someone to develop the 15 acres of land as "a mixed-use, mixed-income complex." Meanwhile, State Assemblyman Vito Lopez has introduced a bill to get the land for affordable housing via eminent domain with part of the rationale being that Pfizer has "almost always donated their land back to the community in a good faith effort to contribute to areas" where its plants were located. Pfizer isn't having it. They emailed The Real Estate to say "Not only is the concept of state-sponsored eminent domain extremely premature at this point and potentially chilling for development statewide." Interestingly, it's not the only eminent domain threat being used in the Burg. State Sen. Joe Lentol is pushing an idea to seize the property held by TransGas, which saw its Williamsburg waterfront power plant turned down last week, for use as part of the Bushwick Inlet Park. Brooklyn's other big eminent domain hot spot is Atlantic Yards.
· Vito Lopez Moves to Take Pfizer's Brooklyn Site by Eminent Domain [TRE]
· Will Pfizer Need Anti-Depressants Over Brooklyn Property? [Curbed]

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[Photo courtesy hi-lo/flickr]

It's been almost exactly a year since Pfizer announced it was closing its huge manufacturing plant in Williamsburg/Bed-Stuy and setting plans in motion about the 15 acres of real estate that would become available. Now, a battle for control of the property seems to be emerging. Today's Observer reports that Pfizer is putting out an RFP for "developers to create a mixed-use, mixed-income complex." Wait. State Assemblyman Vito Lopez is pushing to get the site via eminent domain. He's drafting a bill in Albany that would have the state get control of the site, then issue its own RFP for 1,700 affordable units. Pressure tactic to make sure more affordable housing is built? Possibly. Odds of Pfizer execs dipping into the company medicine box for Xanax or Zoloft before it's over: significantly better than 50-50.
· Pfizer Offering Williamsburg Plant Site for Affordable Housing [NYO]
· Annals of Manufacturing: Debating Pfizer Site's Future [Curbed]