New York Daily News: LG Project Would Stand Out Like a 'Middle Finger'

Another influential institution has taken a stance on the controversial plan to construct a 143-foot-high office building smack dab in the middle of the Palisades.

In an editorial on Saturday, the New York Daily News called Korean electronics giant LG's plan "a monstrosity" that will "despoil" views of the vista for "millions on both sides of the river." The paper said Englewood Cliffs officials should be "ashamed" for approving the plan.

Last week, four former New Jersey governors – with connections to opposition group The New Jersey Conservation Foundation – came out against the proposal.

“We are concerned that this tower would not only interrupt the historic, natural vista enjoyed by millions, but would also set a precedent for greater building heights stretching northward along these iconic cliffs, eroding the unique American landmark of the Palisades,” ex-governors Jim Florio, Christine Todd Whitman, Brendan Byrne and Thomas Kean wrote in a letter. They pressed LG to use a low-rise design on its 27-acre site.

Meanwhile, a court battle between the multi-national company and conservancy groups from New York and New Jersey continues.

Supporters of the LG plan have said it would bring much-needed jobs in the region, providing $1.3 million in tax revenue to Englewood Cliffs in the process. Bergen County Executive Kathleen Donovan has also thrown her support behind LG’s plan, calling the project a boon to the regional economy.