Maybe the WTS doesn't want to sound publicly too eager, especially to potential buyers.
Watchtowers Move to Warwick? Not Any Time Soon
by Gayle 24 Replies latest jw friends
-
-
Band on the Run
If they don't have environmental impact statements prepared and approved, they are not moving anytime too soon. If I were a local resident and never heard of the Witnesses, I would fight them over the size of the plan. Hare Krishnas and other fringe groups moved to rural areas. There were always bad relationships between the group and locals. Any group that is too large for the scale of a community can wreck havoc and change the town's character.
With their money, they prob. will end up there--eventually and with the plan very different from their current proposal. The government and local groups take these statements very seriously. The complexities would give me a headache. I volunteered for a cathedral that was a popular wedding locale. Women would actually call three days before their wedding and announce it was taking place. The space was already committed to other brides. The WT is similar. We are building. They are building if a lot of ifs are resolved in their favor.
Are they leaving Brooklyn to expand, be more isolated, or are NYC costs too much?
-
james_woods
Are they leaving Brooklyn to expand, be more isolated, or are NYC costs too much?
Given their anti-everybody-but-us mentality, I would suggest it is to be more isolated. Most probably also to provide newer & better living conditions for the elite few than downtown in old NYC - and only for the elite; the general Bethel masses are in the process of being laid off and sent home.
It is not to expand - compare the new sq. ft. to the old sq. ft.
Costs? What do they care about costs? This move will end up costing millions...
I think that one credible suggestion was that the attacks on 9/11 scared the pants off them and increased their desire to move.
-
Band on the Run
Brooklyn Heights would be in my favorite city neighborhoods. Greenwich Village is not as nice as Brooklyn. Brooklyn seems more civil. They certainly had a front row seat for September 11th. I was terrified of the winds but they blew right to Bethel. God is nice sometimes. They prob. had trouble breathing for days.
The property values in Brooklyn have to be astronomical. The Financial District in Manhattan is a true, thriving 24/7 neighborhood now which should push up the values in Brooklyn. I could not begin to imagine to leave that aesthetic to move upstate. I can see an upstate satellite.
May I ask how they ship materials? Maybe a port is no longer necessary. What about airports, however?
Of course, I am here and they are there. They must see greener grass.
-
factfinder
My brother told me electricity is less expensive in New York State than in NYC, so it could be an economical move.
The changeover to Regional printing has had a major impact on the US branch. To give some examples:
in the 60's and early 70's the Brooklyn Printery was producing 90 % of the books and 80% of the magazines.
In the 70's and 80's some decentralization took place away from Brooklyn so book production in the US branch went down to 48% of the world total. Magazine printing at Wallkill was 27% of the world total.
In 2002 regional printing was implemented. Thus the US branch only produces 26% of the world total. This made possible the consolodating of printing and binding at Wallkill and greatly reduced the need for workers and space in the US branch. It gave them the opportunity to completly upgrade the US printing branch and now things are more streamlined and automated.
The Brooklyn printery had been printing books & other literature for Mexico, Central America, Africa, Britian, Middle East, Europe, Asia & Australia and the pacific- shipping to 200 lands. Now they only print for the US, its territories, the Caribbean & Canada!
Thus, much less space and manpower is needed.
They would sell off the "outer buildings" even if they were not planning to move out of Brooklyn as they have 1500 there now, not 3600.
It should be noted too that the current expansion at Wallkill will allow up to 200 additional workers there and planned expansion of the WEC (Patterson) will allow 500 more Bethelites there.
I also feel the new GB wants to be more secluded. In Brooklyn everything is open to the public and thousands of people pass by the Adams Street complex and office complex each day. The new GB are very secretive. The property in Warwick looks very secluded.
The FEIS, when available, should contain interesting details about the size and look of the proposed biuldings at Warwick/Tuxedo.
I'm sure they will get permision to build there. They have already done some cleaning up & planting on the property.
I think they would be wise to hold onto the Adams Street complex though. It can house offices, factory operations and residense for 1,000 bethelites. What if in the future circumstances change at some of the printing branches and much of the work needs to be shifted back to the US branch?
The factory at Wallkill is large (802,917) sq ft) but it houses everything: printing, binding, shipping, warehouse, machine shop, wood shop, offices, etc. There is not much for for expansion. Though there is room at WT Farms for another addition to the printery.
In Brooklyn there was 1 million sq ft for printing/binding and related services, 1 million sq feet for shipping and other operations and 700,000 sq feet for offices.
It will be interesting to see what develops but I will miss the Brooklyn Bethel buildings if they are sold, if the society does move out of Brooklyn entirely.