HYDE PARK – An Orthodox Jewish property developer who visited war-torn Israel last week returned to Hyde Park to learn that his newest project had been vandalized with a hate message. Sam Mermelstein, the developer of The Enclave at Hyde Park on Cream Street, was told Monday morning and advised of weekend vandalism at the site, including the painting of a swastika on the road surface.
At some point between Friday, November 3, and Monday morning, a person or persons gathered on the property and lit a bonfire in the middle of one of the roads. The fire caused substantial damage to the asphalt. The vandals also painted images of male genitalia on the pavement, right next to a swastika they painted with white paint.
“This is not something you want to see when you come back home,” he told Mid-Hudson News. Mermelstein had traveled to Israel last week to visit his family, including an elderly aunt who has been directly affected by the terror attacks committed by Hamas.
The developer believes he was targeted with the message of hate because of his faith. “I dress like a Jew, I look like a Jew, and people know me,” Mermelstein said, noting that he has appeared at numerous Hyde Park town board meetings, planning board meetings, and other functions in his quest to redevelop the property into a complex of 50 housing units compressed into 25 duplex structures.
“The swastika really scared me,” he said while expressing a desire to end the violence. “We’ve got to stop the hate. I want the hate to be gone.”
Hyde Park Police Chief Robert Benson said he is aware of the incident and his department is actively investigating it. Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to call the Hyde Park Police Department at 845-229-9340.
