Video: Bidders Pitch Their Proposals for LICH in Brooklyn

After Wednesday night's snafu, a televised presentation featuring five of the bidders in SUNY’s crazy Long Island College Hospital (LICH) firesale is now available for viewing above or on TV on Friday on BRIC's community access Brooklyn Public Network.

The program put together by Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams was initially scheduled to air Wednesday night at 9:30 PM, but was delayed "due to technical difficulties experienced by BRIC/BIM."

This caused no end of aggrevation among those gathered at our LICH pizza party. (We were out $12.)

The Brooklyn Eagle has a synopsis of the hour-long show. Here's one interesting note:

"All five of the presenters said they had met with community organizations and had the backing of local leaders. But local leaders contacted by the Brooklyn Eagle on Thursday said that was news to them."

Our favorite quote:

"Jeff Strabone, spokesperson for the Cobble Hill Association (CHA), when asked if any of the developers reached out to the group, replied, 'Hahahaha!'"

Attorney Jim Walden of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, said, “There is no sense commenting on or reacting to any of the proposals, since this process has no chance whatsoever of withstanding legal scrutiny."

SUNY was apparently going to vote on the proposals Friday but, like the animated cartoon character Morph, the bids are actually changing before our very eyes. Example: Brisa group is reportedly saying it has partnered with North Shore-LIJ, but North Shore says it hasn't. Brooklyn Hospital says it will kinda with Mt. Sinai.

BTW, Related Companies will throw SUNY an extra hundred million if they get the LICH property rezoned.

If you'd rather watch the show on TV,  it is airing on the Brooklyn Public Network, which can be found on Cablevision (Channel 69), Time Warner Cable (Channel 56), RCN (Channel 84), Verizon FIOS (Channel 44) or on their website’s Channel 3 at http://bricartsmedia.org/community-media/watch-brooklyn-public-network. Times:  Friday, February 7th at 1:00 PM, 2:15 PM, 8:00 PM and 9:00 PM.

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Brooklyn Heights Association Annual Meeting Speaker: Clay Shirky, Social Network Guru

Clay Shirky, Wikipedia

This year's Brooklyn Heights Association Annual Meeting features Clay Shirky as the guest speaker. Shirky will speak about what the internet does to culture. 

A professor at NYU, his courses address, among other things, "the interrelated effects of the topology of social networks and technological networks, how our networks shape culture and vice-versa." (Wikipedia)

Books: "Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations" and "Cognitive Surplus: Creativity and Generosity in a Connected Age."

The event is scheduled for Thursday, February 27, at 7 PM at the Brooklyn Historical Society, 128 Pierrepont Street.

BHA President Alexandra Bowie will open the meeting with a report of BHA activities, followed by Tom Stewart with a presentation of BHA Awards for Community Service.

This meeting will be open to the public. A reception with light refreshments will follow the meeting.

For more details, please contact the BHA office at 718-858-9193.


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Methodist Hospital Hearing and LICH Hearing Both Take Place Feb. 11 at 10 a.m.

Google Streetview

You gotta pick and choose between Brooklyn hospitals at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 11.

That's when the New York Methodist Hospital's proposed new Center for Community Health application is on the Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA) meeting agenda in Manhattan. The public will be testifying.

That's also the exact date and hour the contempt hearing against SUNY, its board and the DOH for their actions in trying to close and "monetize" Long Island College Hospital (LICH) is taking place at state Supreme Court in Brooklyn. The public will also be testifying.

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Our LICH Q & A Pizza Party Was a Bust Last Night in Brooklyn

Photo: MK Metz

So we got together with some friends after work last night to watch BP Eric Adams' big TV Q & A about the developers who resubmitted bids to buy LICH.

We even bought pizza.

Like much about the LICH process, all the real stakeholders had no real involvement. Brooklynites were asked to email or tweet in questions. The developers would then try to answer them.

As pretty much everyone who follows the LICH saga on Twitter knows by now, there was a massive technical snafu and the show never aired. (Here's the whole story.)

We did learn a lot about men's grooming, however, and heard a nifty song about men's genitalia, in which the genitalia were referred to as "onions."

Anybody want any cold leftover pizza?

UPDATE: BCAT says the show will air today. 

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So Much LICH News, Including the One About Catsimatidis

John Catsimatidis, Twitter

 When we last caught up with the farce that is SUNY's attempt to unload Long Island College Hospital (LICH), John Catsimatidis seemed far away . . .

He was such a standout as a Mayoral candidate, we actually miss the guy.

Today we were stunned to learn:

The Cats Is back!

This time, the supermarket king is proposing to buy LICH, and, teaming up with a Chinese-American medical group, keep it running as a smaller full-service hospital. (Plus other commercial, money-making stuff.)

The Catsimatides proposal includes a hospital “starting with 100 inpatient beds, then adding 50 beds per year, up to a maximum of 250 beds.” The project would offer “a medical mixed-use campus including medical services, commercial, retail and residential facilities.”

We know that somehow this whole thing's gonna backfire, but we are enjoying the thought of the big boy himself standing by LICH's front door, greeting patients as they enter, petting his cat . . .

* Other LICH news: Developers submit their second round of bogus bids

* BP Eric Adams can't wait to hear your questions about the LICH land grab. You must email or tweet him by midday Wednesday! Because it's a BIG FAT RUSH! SUNY needs to sell that sucker fast! We got one day, people! RUN RUN RUN RUN

* Brooklyn elected officials call out SUNY. Good work, folks. We will vote for all of you again!

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De Blasio unveils his diabolical plan to bring snow to the Upper East Side

Rob Bennett, Office of Mayor de Blasio

We knew it!

That Che Guevara-loving lefty, Mayor Bill de Blasio, has finally come clean about his dastardly plans for the Upper East Side -- which include plowing the snow to the tony nabe.

And maybe locusts. Yeah, locusts.

Mayor de Blasio appears on “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.”

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Horrors! Brooklyn Weather About to Turn Worse: Snow, Freezing Rain, Sleet, Freezing Drizzle

Brooklyn Heights plowing. Photo: MK Metz, McBrooklyn

Think Monday was bad?

The National Weather Service predicts more winter weather for Brooklyn and the surrounding NYC area Tuesday night and Wednesday, and the description includes snow, freezing rain, sleet and freezing drizzle. (That probably uses up all the words for "awful" in NOAA's dictionary.)

In light on the ongoing attack of Old Man Winter, Mayor de Blasio has come up with a plan that includes using police surveillance cameras to see where the streets still need to be plowed. (Now. if we could only get the NSA involved, we could bring about world peace.)

Tuesday night: Snow, freezing rain, and sleet, mainly after midnight. Low around 29. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow and sleet accumulation of 3 to 5 inches possible.

Wednesday: Rain, freezing rain, and sleet before 3pm, then a chance of rain and sleet between 3pm and 5pm, then a chance of rain, snow, and sleet after 5pm. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow and sleet accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.

Wednesday night: A chance of freezing drizzle before 9pm.

The Weather service warns that icing will develop tonight (Monday night):

...ICING WILL DEVELOP TONIGHT...

MELTING SNOW WILL REFREEZE ON SIDE WALKS AND ROADS TONIGHT AS TEMPERATURES FALL THROUGH THE 20S AND TEENS.


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10 Days till Valentine's Day: 'Valentine's Market' in Greenpoint this Sunday, Feb. 9

Greenpointer's will be holding their annual Valentine's Market on Sunday February 9, from 1-7 pm.

The artsy-craftsy event takes place at Greenpoint Loft (67 West St, 5th Fl). Take the elevator up; stairs are an option.

Serving: Brooklyn Brewery & Mulled Wine (Dandelion Wine + Greenpoint Trading Co.), Cafe Grumpy Coffee, Adelina's Rice Balls, Cafecito Bogotá Empanadas & Ovenly Cookies - served on responsibly made Susty Party supplies.

Besides cool gifts, the market features Speed Friending, FREE Love Letter Writing by Brooklyn Craft Company; FREE Couples Astrology Readings by Sidereal Signs; FREE Photo Booth by MAROfoto; FREE Nail Art by @Peenk! FREE Massages by Human@Ease. Terrarium Class by Claire in the loft at 1:30pm. (Pre-registeration required.) $60.


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More on LICH; Hill Country Live Opens; and More Brooklyn Briefs

- Sen. Montgomery breaks with other Brooklyn pols, drops support for LICH. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- Forum on 'Gas Drilling and NYC Water Safety,' Feb. 26 in Park Slope. [Brooklynian]

- Roots, Americana, country and alt-country bands: Hill Country Live opens in Downtown Brooklyn. [Brooklyn Vegan]

- De Blasio to boost pre-K seats by shifting charter school funds. [Brooklyn Eagle]

- De Blasio received a letter threatening 'Nuclear Attack' in NYC. [NY Magazine]

- Cyclist struck by car near Prospect Park. [Gothamist]

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Snow: Winter Storm Warning in Brooklyn, NYC on Monday, Feb. 3

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for Brooklyn and other NYC boroughs, along with Long Island and parts of NJ, from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. today.

NOAA is warning of snow accumulations of 5 to 8 inches.

It will likely start out as rain before 8 a.m., changing to snow afterwards.

The NYC Office of Emergency Management has issued a Hazardous Travel Advisory. Use mass transportation whenever possible.

Alternate Side Parking Regulations will be suspended on Monday. Parking meters will remain in effect throughout the City.

School has not been canceled.

* LOCATIONS...NEW YORK CITY...LONG ISLAND...AND PORTIONS OF NORTHEASTERN NEW JERSEY.

* HAZARD TYPES...HEAVY SNOW.

* ACCUMULATIONS...SNOW ACCUMULATION OF 5 TO 8 INCHES.

SNOW COVERED ROADWAYS WILL CREATE HAZARDOUS TRAVEL.


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