By COLlive reporter
New York City is being asked to create a pedestrian plaza in front of 770 Eastern Parkway, the bustling home of Chabad-Lubavitch World Headquarters in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn.
In letters to city officials and the New York Police Departement, local community leaders said that along with the growth of the Crown Heights Jewish community, there are growing safety concerns as well.
According to one estimation, 770 Eastern Parkway and its adjacent synagogue at 788 Eastern Parkway hosts approximately 100,000 people a year from around the country and the world.
“770 creates a unique and challenging situation for the Police Department to protect and serve,” one community leader wrote. “For the past 30 years, the NYPD, specifically the 71st Precinct has dedicated tens of thousands of hours of manpower to provide appropriate security to this location.”
In the proposal attached to the letters, community leaders suggested the traffic at the end of the service lane intersecting Eastern Parkway and Kingston Avenue be merged through the island to the main lanes of the parkway.
Instead, a plaza will be installed in front of 770 and 778. It will be protected by anti-ramming barriers, allowing for greater foot traffic and blocking off access to vehicles to be in close proximity to the buildings.
Local community organizations who have written support letters in support of the plaza include heads of Brooklyn Community Board 9, Jewish Children’s Museum, Beis Din of Crown Heights, Vaad Hakohol, COLlive.com, Crown Heights Bikur Cholim and schools.
Mendel Mintz, one of the organizers, said such a plaza will also allow the community to gather, without closing traffic on the service lane.
Organizers are in the midst of gaining support from elected officials, both city, and state.
Rabbi Eli Cohen, Executive Director of The Crown Heights Jewish Community Council, said, “this won’t happen overnight but if all goes well, we can expect construction to begin by 2020,” he said.
The Crown Heights community is encouraged to share their ideas and suggestions, by emailing [email protected] .
shul to small and crowded, about time the community improves size and anesthetics of shul, while air conditioning as well.
Great idea but it will NOT work . Let me explain . As the long serving former Chairman of CB9 (34) years I approached City Hall in the 1980’s and several times again in the 1990’s to do a cutoff mid block and divert traffic as is proposed now because we had several troublesome neighbors who would pull their cars out and drive down the service lane when they would see large crowd spillovers into the street in front of 770 . I met both times with the bosses of both the NYC Parks Dept and the Landmarks Commission whom… Read more »
The ones that worked at ben gurion
How will we cross over to 749
First things first please lets fix more of the women’s shul on Eastern Parkway but above all else Kingston first. There’s holes that need to be fixed or at least use the money to remodel Kingston side. If someone were to wear high heels no matter the length they are bound to Chasvshalom break their neck. Baruch Hashem no one has yet. Hashem is definitely watching over everyone. There’s a lot of water damage over there and I’m not sure how long its been since the tile and the wooden floor have been replaced. Also the mechitza on the women’s… Read more »
This plan overlooks the fact that there is a subway station entrance right there. It is not accounted for in the mock up sketch. Kingston Ave. station only has two entrances. Having only one entrance would be a fire hazard.
Just need to figure out, what do school buses who pick up children on 770 block and the next block do if they have to merge into the main parkway. Officially children are only to be picked up in the service lane…. Also, if one is coming from the service lane and needs to turn left onto Kingston, how can they do that Egan they’re in the far right lane? Till now they turned onto Kingston from the service lane at the light. Unless they add another light but rather to allow cars from service lane to dive into far… Read more »
Has thought been given to how Chasanim and (more particularly) Kallohs will be able to drive up to 770 for their Chuppahs? Also the buses that bring the guests from Razag and where will the bus that goes to Ohel be parked?
great idea… but someone needs to raise the 50/100 K it would take ESPECIALLY if u would try match the windows even remotely …
I am replying to this lovely AND LONG OVERDUE idea
Luv it.
Great starter idea. I’m sure with creativity the created traffic flow challenge can be met.
I’d love to see the building facades of the 788 buildings cleaned/updated. Such an eyesore, especially for a “world headquarters”. Could be changed to mimic the (tudor?) style facade of 770 so that all three buildings have a nice synergy.
Grt idea to add security, long overdue, but don’t close the service lane, the plaza will make 770 a dirty punk area right outside the Lubavitch world headquarters, sad.
Plus it will make the pkwy very congested, the service lane is very practical!
I was taught, don’t try to make things better then good, because “Better” is the enemy of Good. 770 it’s self, and the Surrounding of 770, in my opinion, Should Remain Looking exactly as it was in the times when we have seen the Rebbe.
It is a fitting tribute to the worlds greatest and most influential leader…The Rebbe…..should be named “Schneerson Square”
can the traffic in the right lane stop just before the entrance ramp from the service lane?
But what’s needed immediately is a greater police presence – on foot, not snoozing or eating in their cars.
The only one who made any sense here was number 35.
You will still have added space and you will have the lane for service traffic.
Nypd cops are clueless when it comes to middle eastern terrorist.
They have no clue how to tell ,and pick them out.
What really needs to be done is NYC should pay for 24-7 security,and hire israel security company .
770 is high risk place people come in and out leaving bags all over .
It’s catastrophic ,and needs to be changed
770 is a holy place and it has protection by default, if something, G-d Forbid, is destined to happen it will happen, with or without security…a project like this inlynbrings unnecessary attention
If this is proposed as ‘pedestrian only’ how will the Lag B’Omer floats drive by 770 for the parade?
Surely such heavy vehicles will ruine the paving stones….
Otherwise sounds like a fantastic idea.
Besides all the traffic and hatzala and what not,
Who’s paying for all this bc I dont think the city is going to pay and to make the CH residents pay isn’t right.
pedestrian overpass bridge to take us safely across Eastern Pkwy. and I would love one on Empire Blvd. as well. There are a lot pedestrians injured at some of the big intersections and near misses far too often! Everything else suggested seems pretty good also.
We will name this island
“Fantasy lsland”
As it is pure fantasy
It will never happened!
HATZLACHA RABAH!!!!
All these dumb questions we’re all thought of but we have to make 770 great again
How about painting the building of the shul? Time for a facelift.
Agree with 14. Everyone read 14. This must happen. The Rebbe emphasised change.
Secondly, where will Leonardo Farkas park his car to drop off more cash to 770?
Where will yisroel shemtov park his car
Where will they put the garbage
Great starter idea. I’m sure with creativity the created traffic flow challenge can be met.
I’d love to see the building facades of the 788 buildings cleaned/updated. Such an eyesore, especially for a “world headquarters”. Could be changed to mimic the (tudor?) style facade of 770 so that all three buildings have a nice synergy.
go mendel mintz you are so amazing!!!
Bsd it seems that money should be spent on security camera coverage of that block
I’m sure they have much pull for such a matter.
Security here is on them!
Crown heights, President street, Kings Plaza!
This is amazingly epic
Crazy idea, nuts…
But I love the thought behind it.
Looooving it!!!
Hope it passes but i bet it’ll take a really long time to actually see it through!
Hatzlacha!
terrible idea will cause traffic nightmare
Lubavitch community is funny:) such great suggestions!
Sounds like a good idea.
Can be made as they have by Herald Square in Manhattan.
Or it can be made like they have on Queens Blvd.
The service road can become a dead end street. Or a traffic light should be put approximately where the Melamed/Slavin homes are. The street should go diagonally to continue into the main road of EP.
BTW.
That would be helpful to the bochurim that would ANYWAY cross in the middle of the street.
BEFORE. any chachomim ask, NO don’t name it Shneerson plaza…… Kings plaza will be nice.
Eastern Parkway should have an underpass underneath Kingston Ave. This will keep the intersection flowing full time
What about armed security on the inside as well??
Where will hatzalah have room to operate
Trim the island to add a 3rd eastbound lane just for this section to accommodate the excess traffic from the service lane.
The island can handle being trimmed because it’s being annexed to a huge plaza anyhow.
Maybe the residents of Eastern Parkway between Brooklyn and Troy should get a say?
What about cars entering eastern parkway from the service lane? Either they’ll have to wait incredibly long or they’ll be putting themselves in grave danger by trying to speed in front of the fast traffic on EP….
We would need a pedestrian overpass over this exit lane
just another point to add to 17- where will the ambulances now park? will it be further back, thus taking away more parking spaces from an already busy street/area?
i think overall if those small issue can be worked out, can be very beneficial!
770 isn’t on any terror list, locations that are targets have a higher level of foot traffic. About the stabbing in 770: there is no indication that the motivation had anything to do with the “Arab-Israeli conflict” it is more likely that drugs and/or alcohol were involved. About Halberstam: What happened was extremely tragic, but that occurred on the Brooklyn Bridge and not in 770, Ari wasn’t the original target (the Rebbe was) and it was done with a gun not a knife. BTW the first time a stabbing was committed during an Intifada was in 1988, but besides that… Read more »
Where will the RebbeDrive in from?
Great question! I have a great solution!
Perhaps they should create a second “mirroring” plaza in front of the JCM so there’s a corresponding “re-entry” AFTER the JCM. This will allow for a second plaza in front of the JCM!
So cars from Kingston will gave to make a left onto the main 2-way street and then enter the service lane through this “re-entry” lane.
The seperation of the street to the subway, is a very important thing for many many reasons, vdai lamvin. 2. Where do u plan to put the hatzloah ambulances?? Remeber the rebbe is the one that wanted it parked right infornt of 770, and all can see the vahavta lreia ha kamocha. 3. I think what most important right now, is a turning lane from kingston ave. Into eastern pkwy in order to free up the kingston ave. Traffic, as well the trucks that double park on kingston and union should be double fined , for they have a designated… Read more »
To #17:
Cars coming from the north west which need to access the service Lane of eastern parkway between Kingston and Albany will have to go down Brooklyn to Union and go back up a block from Union and Kingston to eastern parkway. Potentially there will be no parallel on either side of the
Ummm maybe they can sleep out here… We can make them meals as well.
It might just solve all lubavitch problems
To #18:
The rebbes car will drive directly on to the plaza.
This will add so much for the community and something that can be used for tremendously!
Hope it’ll actually pass! It’s such a beautiful thing!
A must for car ramming.
What’s the cost for such a project? The city will actually allow? The city will pay for it?
Make 770 great again!!
Love the plan
OMGGG good job ch woohoooooo making the community better that should be everyones goal to make a better ch not only focus on shlichus other communities!!
Amazing idea, hope it happens!
BS”D How will the Rebbe drive up to 770 in his car
Welcome to civil engineering 101:
First off, this is a really cool idea. However, won’t this cause traffic when trucks and cars need to leave the service lane just to get right back in?
Also if they don’t change the next block the service lane between Kingston and Albany will not be accessible unless you come from Kingston. And that will just create more traffic all around.
It’s all what he does
First of all
Al Tiftach Peh Lesoton.
770 is not on any terrorist list or they would of already acted.
while its a great idea to create a security barrier the Rebbe and Hashem have it under 24/7 control
Kan Tzivo Hashem ess habrocho
If they protect the outside of 770 what will we do to clean up the inside and make the Rebbe’s shul a respectable place again where we can bring guests?
First things first let’s expand 770
The images are very nice. I hope it goes through will the gov
Maybe some beautiful things for chabad world headquarters!
Is this actually a reallty??
Great great. It’ll be a great harchava in 770… And amazing for the thousands of guests from far ans near!
This plan is extremely smart!
For so many reasons…
Hope this pulls through!
Great great great!
Amazing!!!
Hope things work out for the best in every possible way. משיח כאו!
770 IS DEFENITLY ON THE TERROR HIT LIST
770 HAD THE FIRST KNIFE INTIFADA –
LETS NOT FORGET THE ARI HALBERSTAM. a’h.
Amazing now there will be more room to sell stuff, maybe a full time hotdog stand
I hope it works out
Thank you Mendel for working to enhance our community. Thank you for bringing Achdus to our community.
Beautiful idea.
Good to hear the space will be protected with increased potential of use options for the ever changing activities happening at this location.
s
stop accidents