Union Theological to Build 40 Story Luxury Condo

Union Theological Seminary located at 3041 Broadway (between 120th & 121st Streets) which has renown for being an institution that stands on the side of social justice is embarking on an architectural project that runs counter to their ethical persona. They are involved with L & M Real Estate Group in the building of a 40 story luxury apartment building. Albeit some of the structure will also house student, faculty and administration facilities, but it will predominantly house the wealthy and bring more gentrification to the Morningside Heights community.

We could just turn a blind eye to the hypocrisy being practiced by an institution that espouses equality and justice, but then on the other hand wants a structure on their property that houses the elite, and therefore further stratifies the divide between the haves and have-nots. To further complicate matters the structure will be built in the courtyard on what can and should be considered hallowed ground.

The powers that be might argue that this is a necessary evil in order to continue Union’s mission. This is a contradiction in terms if you destroy the mission in order to continue the mission.

Union Theological has been run by faith, to help people of faith succeed in their causes and should have faith enough in their veins to know that this run contrary to their beliefs and is wrong, and to know that there is always another way where you hold on to your ethics and you don’t bow down to any golden calve buildings.

How will this gentrification play out? First the elite move in, who don’t have a personal investment in the community other than to want to change it to suit their needs, and they won’t mingle with the community at the local bodega. They will be walking into the building through a private entrance. They will not be pleased to see the homeless that settle in at night on Union’s doorway. They will either get the police to move them or request Union’s administration to step in, which will be a further bend in the moral fabric. There will be new stores with much higher prices for them to shop in, which will further squeeze the dollar of the average people that live in the neighborhood. There will be more policing to protect the elite, which in turn will cause further incarceration, the harassment of people of color and the poor.

The rents will start to rise in the neighborhood, which will signal to landlords that it’s time to start evicting older tenants or tenants that don’t speak English well, since they can just run them through the court system, and if they don’t show up, they automatically lose. So, now we have displacement of the poor, the vulnerable, that has and will continue to be a factor in creating homelessness.

And somewhere on this spectrum of evils will be the tarnishment of Union’s reputation for being a place that defends the rights of the poor, the vulnerable and the social outcast. But it seems that those at the top of the decision making process want to polish Union's external image, and aren't thinking how they are ultimately selling away Union’s soul.

(Image: View of Union Theological Seminary from 120th Street 4/23/18. link to previous New York Times Article)

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/1...