Save Ruppert Park | Upper Eastside Park New York City

Save Ruppert Playground
A Grass - Roots Public Awareness Campaign
to Preserve Ruppert Playground
From Development

"Since the park has proven so popular with the teenagers, many residents would like to see it become a permanent feature in the neighborhood." East Side Express - November -1978

Dear Neighbor,
For more than 30 years Ruppert Playground - located between E. 92/93rd Sts. between 2nd/3rd Avenues - has played a vital role in the lives of countless people. With more than 217,000 residents and only 1.7% of its total land area (653,750 sq. ft.) dedicated to parks and open space, CB 8 is the city's densest community, and ranks dead last in publicly accessible recreational space.

The Related Company plans to destroy the popular playground by building a 40 story luxury building. We need your help to defeat this irresponsible plan. We hope you will support the community in its efforts to have the property transferred back to the City and designated as an NYC Park. The City sold the property to the developer and the City can negotiate a deal to get it back! The park must be preserved exclusively for park and recreational uses.

The time has come to create a very visible public campaign to SAVE RUPPERT PLAYGROUND! During the second week of April boring equipment arrived in the park to take earth and rock samples. This is the first step of an impending construction project and the first public sign of Related Company's intention of proceeding with developing the site and TAKING AWAY our PARK!!!

We are organizing a broad based public awareness campaign to oppose Ruppert Playground from being developed. We need your help to protect this vital resource!

WE NEED YOU TO:

• Please take a few minutes and contact your local elected officials and city agencies to voice your opposition and ask them for help. Please also contact the Related Companies. (Click here for Contacts) This is imperative. Please call AND send letters/e-mails. (Click here for a sample letter and talking points)

• Spread the word to park users, neighborhood residents, businesses, the general public, school groups etc. Sign the petition. Encourage everyone to get involved: Your children, sisters/brothers, aunt/uncles, grandparents, neighbors…

• If you are interested in helping out further please contact us.

This community has the Lowest amount of park space and the Highest density of any neighborhood in the city. In order to stop this construction and preserve this vital resource time is of the essence!

The Related Company is one of the largest real estate companies in America. They are very well connected politically. We need the help and support of the community in order to be able to apply pressure. We must work together. Please get involved. For more information please contact save-ruppert-playground@googlegroups.com or NYC Park Advocates (212) 987-0565.

CAMPAIGN TO SAVE RUPPERT PLAYGROUND A grass-roots, broad-based public awareness campaign to PRESERVE Ruppert Playground from development. Contacts: Please contact the following people:
	Director - Department of City Planning Amanda M. Burden 22 Reade Street New York, NY 10007 212-720-3200 aburden@planning.nyc.gov RELATED COMPANIES 60 Columbus Circle New York, NY 10023 212-421 -5333 Stephen M. Ross -Chairman and CEO E-mail: sross@related.com Jeff T. Blau - President E-mail: jblau@related.com AGENCIES Rafael Cestero - Commissioner Department of Housing Preservation & Development 100 Gold St, New York, NY 10038 212-863-6100 Fax: 212-863-6302 E-mail: lay@hpd.nyc.gov ELECTED OFFICIALS Mayor of New York City Hon. Michael Bloomberg NY City Hall New York, NY 10007 212-788-3000, Fax: 212-788-2989 Email web form: http://www.nyc.gov/html/om/html/contact_the_mayor.html NYC Council Member Daniel Garodnick - 4th District 211 East 43rd Street, Suite 2004 New York, NY 10017 212-818-0580, Fax: 212-818-0706 E-mail: garodnick@council.nyc.ny.us NYC Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn District 3 - Council Member – Democrat 224 West 30th St (Suite 1206) New York, NY 10001 212-564-7757 E-mail: quinn@council.nyc.gov NYC Council Member Jessica S. Lappin - Council Member - District 5 330 East 63rd St., Suite 1K New York, NY 10065 212-980-1808 E-mail: lappin@council.nyc.gov	U.S. Congress Member Carolyn Maloney - 14th District 1651 Third Ave., Suite 311 NY 10128 212-860-0606, Fax: 212-860-0704 E-mail: Minna.elias@mail.house.gov NY State Senator José M. Serrano - 28th Senate District 157 East 104th Street Ground Floor New York, New York 10029 212-828-5829 E-mail: serrano@senate.state.ny.us E-mail: nyssenate28@gmail.com NY State Assembly Member Micah Z. Kellner- 65th District 250 Broadway, 22nd Floor, New York, New York 10007 212-860-4906, Fax: 212-312-1479 E-mail: kellnerm@assembly.state.ny.us NY State Assembly Member Jonathan L. Bing - 73rd District 360 E. 57th Street Mezzanine Level New York, NY 10022 212-605-0937 E-mail: bingj@assembly.state.ny.us NY State Senator Liz Krueger - 26th District 211 East 43rd Street, Room 1300 New York, NY 10017 212-490-9535 Fax: 212-490-2151 E-mail: lkrueger@senate.state.ny.us NYSenatorLiz@aol.com Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer Municipal Building, 19th floor New York, NY 10007 212-669-8300, Fax: 212-669-3380 E-mail: bp@manhattanbp.org COMMUNITY BOARD 8 505 Park Avenue, Suite #620 New York, NY 10022 212-758-4340, Fax: 212-758-4616 Jacqueline Ludorf - Chair E-mail: info@cb8m.com
Easy email list of everyone:
	Quick Easy email list of everyone: sross@related.com; jblau@related.com; lay@hpd.nyc.gov; garodnick@council.nyc.ny.us; lappin@council.nyc.gov; rep.carolyn.maloney@mail.house.gov; Minna.elias@mail.house.gov; serrano@senate.state.ny.us; nyssenate28@gmail.com; kellnerm@assembly.state.ny.us; lkrueger@senate.state.ny.us; NYSenatorLiz@aol.com; bingj@assembly.state.ny.us; bp@manhattanbp.org; info@cb8m.com, aburden@planning.nyc.gov (Please make sure you also “cc” save-ruppert-playground@googlegroups.com as well as oscarfernandezjr@gmail.com)

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