“Why embarrass low-income residents and drive down high rents? Having a separate entrance for poor people at the back of the building just makes sense, ” or so was the line of reasoning (not spoken necessarily, but is consistent with the twisted logic) of Gary Barnett, CEO of Extell Development, who defended a separate entrance for the poor in his 33-story building on 40 Riverside Drive.
It’s only fair and even charitable. After all, the people who buy the high-priced condos don’t want to have to deal with the eyesore of having poor people go in and out of the same entrance. And if weren’t for the wealthy in the condos, the lower priced rentals would not be sufficiently funded. So it is really an understandable return for an act of charity.
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And isn’t it impressive that the wealthy are even willing to live in the same building with the poor people in the first place? It’s perfectly legal according to zoning laws, which now allow for the low-income housing and fancy condos to be in the same building, but there has to be some division, right?
Barnett compared combining the entrance for both types of units to “giving away” valuable apartments. Well, that’s right, Gary. It’s one thing to be charitable and allow the poor to live alongside the rich. But to force them to walk in and out of the same door is going way too far.
