FRIENDS has been featured in recent news pieces covering the community opposition to the New York Blood Center/Longfellow commercial tower that would undo decades of community-minded human scale zoning on the midblocks in our neighborhood. Watch and read on to learn more.

A March 12th story in amNY focuses on the impact of biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) high containment research labs for highly infectious pathogens, a fact that was omitted from public filings with the City surrounding the environmental review.

“I was alarmed to find that in a 2016 memo, the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) noted significant risks associated with such facilities, including the potential for an accidental outbreak, which could be severe given New York City’s population density,” said [Manhattan Borough President Gale] Brewer in a letter raising her concerns to NYC Department of Planning. “Furthermore, the fact that the proposed facility is in a residential neighborhood raises serious questions about the adequacy of safeguards and the potential impact of such a laboratory.” - Carsen Holaday, amNY, "NYBC proposed rezoning plan sparking controversy on the Upper East Side," March 12, 2021