Upper East Side Blood Center Tower Advances Despite Opposition

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — The New York Blood Center is moving forward in its push for a new Upper East Side headquarters, even as local opposition mounts over its size, timeline and the zoning changes required to build it.

First announced in October, the development on East 67th Street would replace the nonprofit's three-story brick home with a 334-foot glass tower. Of the building's 16 stories, five would house the Blood Center, while the upper 10 would be leased to other tenants by Longfellow, the real estate developer handling the project.

It has faced strong pushback from neighbors, most notably because the midblock site, between First and Second avenues, would need to be rezoned to allow for such tall construction. (Under the neighborhood's current zoning code, buildings above 75 feet are allowed only along the avenues.)

On Friday, Community Board 8 announced that the proposal could be certified by the Department of City Planning as soon as April 19. That step, the first hurdle in the monthslong ULURP timeline, could pave the way for eventual approval by the mayor and City Council.

"I am really concerned at the speed with which Longfellow is moving forward here," said Valerie Mason, President of the East 72nd Street Neighborhood Association and a vocal opponent of the plan. "I think this is an exploitation of the fact that we are in a pandemic to push through a real-estate play using the good name of a longtime neighbor."

Shadows, schools scrutinized

Another chief concern for opponents has been the tower's effect on St. Catherine's Park, a treasured green space that sits across the street.

The building would cast up to four hours of new afternoon shadows each day during the summer, and less during the rest of the year, according to a study commissioned by the Blood Center last fall.

Neighbors have also worried about how years of construction and traffic congestion would affect the nearby Julia Richman Education Complex, and complained that Blood Center leaders have ignored most requests to appear at CB8 meetings to respond to concerns.

The Blood Center insists that it is in dire need of expanding beyond its current building, which dates to 1930 and has physical limitations that constrain key research programs.

"Our facility is very old, it's outdated, it's almost impossible to recruit people into," President Chris Hillyer told CB8 in November.

Leaders say the new headquarters, dubbed Center East, would serve as a life-sciences hub by inviting tenants like biotech firms and other startups by joining the Blood Center, which has researched treatments for COVID-19 and HIV, among other illnesses.

But neighbors say they've seen few guarantees that the development will live up to its lofty ideals.

"There’s no one committed to this project except for the tenant that’s only going to occupy the first five floors," Mason said.

In a statement, Blood Center Executive Vice President Rob Purvis said the building's shared spaces would allow different companies to "work collaboratively under one roof to advance drug development and cures for diseases.

" New York currently lacks space for this full ecosystem which is essential to advancing life science innovation," Purvis said. "The Blood Center is committed to working with the community to bring this proposal to the Upper East Side."

Opposition builds

In a sign of how large the proposal looms in the neighborhood's politics, the candidates for the Upper East Side's open City Council seat were asked to weigh in about the Blood Center expansion as one of four main topics at a March 11 forum.

All seven contenders expressed deep skepticism toward the project, especially the zoning variance it would entail.

"This is going to be the most important and most pressing land use decision that's going to be before our next leadership," said Tricia Shimamura, one of eight candidates for the District 5 seat.

In December, Community Board 8 passed a resolution opposing the project in its current form. A new group, Eastsiders for Responsible Zoning has sprung up to fight the development, while others, like Friends of the Upper East Side Historic District, have spoken out against it.

Neighbors have questioned why the Blood Center does not simply build "as-of-right," or within existing zoning laws. In an alternate, as-of-right proposal, the Blood Center says it would build a six-story, 75-foot-tall building complete with laboratory space spread over two wings.

"They can get 100 percent of what they need for their own facilities completely building as-of-right," said Elizabeth Rose, a CB8 member.

The initial proposal won support from Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration as well as Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, though Brewer now says she has "serious concerns" about the project and has called for it to be significantly revised.

"Make your voice heard"

The Blood Center and Longfellow aim to start construction in 2022 and wrap up by 2026, if the City Council approves the proposal at the end of ULURP.

Besides the scientific benefits, the project would create 1,500 new jobs with an economic output of $1.1 billion, according to leaders.

Community Board 8 gets no final say, but will hold a public hearing after the project is certified as soon as next month.

"Local residents’ input is important to us and we are having many productive conversations with stakeholders such as CUNY and other schools and educational nonprofits which have been outspoken in their support for Center East," Purvis added in his statement.

Another factor will be the stance taken by City Councilmember Ben Kallos, who has signaled skepticism toward the Blood Center project but not yet formally opposed it. Traditionally, the City Council has allowed members to essentially veto any project within their districts, but last fall's development fight in Brooklyn's Industry City signaled that so-called "member deference" may be on the wane.

In a statement, Kallos urged Upper East Siders to tune into Tuesday night's Community Board 8 zoning and development committee meeting, where the Blood Center and Longfellow will share updates for the first time in months.

"Now is the time to make your voice heard on this proposal, this is the community's best opportunity to learn details about this project that would cast a shadow on St. Catherine's Park," Kallos said. "Our community has to keep showing up to meetings like this every time there is one."

Tuesday's Community Board 8 zoning and development committee meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. on Zoom.

Update, Tuesday, March 23: This article has been updated to clarify Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer's current stance on the proposal.

Previous coverage:

• Blood Center Building Hits Roadblocks On Upper East Side
  
• UES Community Board Harshly Critical Of Blood Center Expansion
  
• NY Blood Center Plots Major Upper East Side Expansion