Crown Heights Jewish Children's Museum in default. Could have to close....

whynot_31 · April 2015

"After borrowers defaulted on a $9,400,000 mortgage, a U.S. bank has been seeking offers for the ‘note’ on 792 Eastern Parkway, the building which houses the Jewish Children’s Museum.

Brokers with Cushman Wakefield and Massey Knakal have been soliciting offers on behalf of Capital One Bank, which holds $9.4 Million in mortgages – stemming from the construction of the Jewish Children’s Museum – that are currently being described as “non-performing”.

The building is being described by the solicitors as 38,355 gross square feet plus a 10,500 square foot lower level, which contains a 77-seat theater, various other visitor activity spaces and boasts being close to the 3 and 4 trains.

Taxes on the property for this year would have been $1,402,326, however, due to the Museum and Tzivos Hashem non-profits occupying the building it is currently exempt from those taxes.

The museum, the first of its kind, has seen hundreds of thousands of children and adults from all walks of life come through its doors since its opening. It aims to dispel ignorance and anti-Semitism through education.

The JCM declined CrownHeights.info’s request for comment."

http://crownheights.info/communal-matters/481020/jewish-childrens-museum-faces-foreclosure/

whynot_31 · April 2015

The museum business is a tough one. The entity buys the note will have the option of foreclosing on the property to obtain possession.

Conceivably, it could then convert into residential, health care or some other use.

In my view, the property has served as a gateway to the area's orthodox neighobrhood.

crownheightster · April 2015

I've never visited in all my time in CH.

whynot_31 · April 2015

Many museums receive a large amount of their support from state and city government. JCM is no exception:

"We would like to express our deepest gratitude to those whose support was
vital in making the JCM a reality. They have each contributed more than one million dollars to the Jewish Children’s Museum:

The Government of the City of New York
The State Government of New York
Drs. William and Esther Benenson
Mr. & Mrs. David Slager
Mr. and Mrs. Judah Wernick"

http://www.jcm.museum/page.asp?dept=4020&Article=204

Sadly, the NYC and NYS government is unlikely to be able to receive any of the proceeds in the event it is sold.

Donations do not work that way.

mike dunlap · April 2015

Donations do not work that way.

Thanks.

morralkan · April 2015

I've never visited in all my time in CH.

I've never visited the museum either, but then again, I don't have children.

I have, however, patronized Mendy's deli from time to time.

whynot_31 · April 2015

In addition to Mendy's, there is also a coffee shop that rents space from museum.

If the museum survives, It would not surprise me if it's investors wanted a new Exec Director even though there may be nothing "wrong" with the current one.

whynot_31 · June 2015

Protective fence went up in front of the entrance tonight.

The fence, however, seems temporary. They are not drilling it into the ground and it is being put up by an events firm... Not a construction firm.

whynot_31 · June 2015

Some digging indicates this is just preparation for an event tomorrow:

"Museum Closed June 30

Please note that the museum will be closed on
Tuesday, June 30 for a private event. Sorry for the inconvenience. Come
visit another day!"

http://www.jcm.museum/

pheightsresident · June 2015

Sad to see that this place is experiencing financial difficulties. But, truth be told, its not entirely surprising given the competition it has from the Brooklyn Children's Museum. The Jewish Children's Museum admission fee of $13 ($10 for seniors, free for children 2 and under) is $4 more than the general admission fee for the Brooklyn Children's Museum, which adds up quickly for families with multiple children; that $4 in savings per person can, for families with multiple children, pay for lunch (deli meat, peanut butter and jelly, etc.) and more. Note: the BCM also has multiple hours per week where admission is free. Thus, it is not shocking to see the large number of Orthodox (and other) families frequenting the BCM, which can only spell trouble for the JCM.

whynot_31 · June 2015

From what I understand, the JCM is focused on teaching Jewish children their culture and history: http://www.jcm.museum/exhibits.asp?path=2015

Whereas the BCM is focused on children exploring the world through arts, culture and science: http://www.brooklynkids.org/programs

So, while there is overlap in the teaching methods, the reasons a family brings their child to one vs the other seem pretty distinct.

I imagine a local Jewish child visiting JCM maybe 2x during their childhood, whereas I imagine typical non-Jewish children visiting far less.

Meanwhile, I see BCM as being a place that one could bring a child over and over, and one where parents would consider an annual membership.

pheightsresident · June 2015

I agree. I just think that you'd see more families choosing the JCM (if only to have a fun experience while also learning more about culture) vs. the BCM if the former had cheaper admissions prices. Out of all of the times that I've been to the BCM as of late, the place seems to be dominated by Orthodox families. If these same families spent their time and money at the JCM, I think it would be doing quite well, financially, now.

Note: the BCM has another BIG thing going for it this year as IDNYC gets you free membership there! In this regard, the IDNYC program could not have come at a worse time for the JCM.

Issacson · June 2015

Sad to see that this place is experiencing financial difficulties. But, truth be told, its not entirely surprising given the competition it has from the Brooklyn Children's Museum. The Jewish Children's Museum admission fee of $13 ($10 for seniors, free for children 2 and under) is $4 more than the general admission fee for the Brooklyn Children's Museum, which adds up quickly for families with multiple children; that $4 in savings per person can, for families with multiple children, pay for lunch (deli meat, peanut butter and jelly, etc.) and more. Note: the BCM also has multiple hours per week where admission is free. Thus, it is not shocking to see the large number of Orthodox (and other) families frequenting the BCM, which can only spell trouble for the JCM.

Lots and lots of families frequent the BCM over the JCM becasue the BCM accepts the NYC Cool Culture card (www.coolculture.org/). JCM does not.

pheightsresident · June 2015

That's interesting. What are the actual benefits of the Cool Culture Card? They weren't clear to me from a simple search of the website (and I didn't watch the video).

whynot_31 · June 2015

Free museum admission for low income families.

"Cool Culture helps over 50,000 income-eligible families access and enjoy 90 of NYC's world-class cultural institutions for free, providing children with experiences that improve literacy and learning.

NYC’s cultural institutions draw visitors from across the globe, but are often off limits to New Yorkers of limited means. Over 50% of children in New York City are from low-income families. For many, the cost of visiting a museum or zoo simply would not be possible without our cultural institution partners' commitment to cultivating new, more diverse audiences."

http://www.coolculture.org/

pheightsresident · June 2015

Wow, that was a bad oversight on my part; I completely skipped the "welcome" paragraphs as I didn't think what I'd be looking for would be there. Thanks for posting!

goldemi1 · July 2015

Doesnt seem like the museum had the best marketing, although I've heard from people of various religions/ethnicities that its a good museum for kids. They didn't come off as an "only for Jews" museum, but had exhibits and programs oriented towards racial and religious acceptance, profiling African Americans and their struggles, etc.

Crown Heights Jewish Children's Museum in default. Could have to close....

Comments

Howdy, Stranger!

Categories