Village Rally 11/15 for Affordable Housing at Tech Center

All residents of the Lower East Side and its adjacent neighborhoods are very strongly urged to join members of six and increasing neighborhood advocates' groups to attend a rally this Wednesday evening November 15th at 5:30 PM to demand a halt of the mayor's "Tech Hub" plan to radically and irreparably change the nature of Greenwich Village.

The members of the organizations involved in the rally [as of this date] include the GVSHP, (Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation), the Cooper Square Committee, the East Village Community Coalition, the Lower East side Preservation Initiative, the Bowery Alliance of Neighbors and a growing number of concerned housing and neighborhood preservationists.

The gathering is planned for 3rd Avenue and St. Marks Place this Wednesday 11/15 at 5:30 PM to demand zoning or landmark protections to save the neighborhoods that are currently slated for more rampant demolition of existing housing and the destruction of many small businesses in the community, already underway. So far, the mayor has refused to consider any suggestions that have been proposed by the Greenwich Village residents.

According to a flyer published by the organizers of the rally: "Multiple office buildings, hotels and high-rise condos are planned for this area, pushing out longtime residents and businesses, fueled in part by the expansion of the tech industry's 'Silicon Valley' into this area.

"Mayor de Blasio and developers think this is a great idea and want approvals for a new 'Tech Hub' on 14th Street that will accellerate this trend, demolishing low-rise buildings like those at 11th and Broadway and 3rd Avenue [a number of which have already been demolished] and Saint Mark's place for high rise and office development.

"A $150 million deal has just been signed for a 'boutique office building' to rise at 3rd Avenue and St. Mark’s Place. Three tech-related office developments are planned on Broadway between 11th and 13th Streets, 300 feet tall or higher. Huge luxury condo high-rises and tech offices are moving in on University Place.

"Three modest walk-up apartment buildings with scores of long term and affordable housing units were [already] demolished on 11th Street between 3rd and 4th Avenues to make way for a 313-room hotel with multiple bars. And more is coming!

"Why is this happening? Because this area is lacking in good zoning or landmark protections that allow this kind of demolition and inappropriate development; and the tech industry sees this neighborhood as the hot new area for expansion, extending 'Silicon Alley' down from Union Square and up from Astor Place. And now the Mayor and developers want approvals from the City Council for a huge new 'Tech Hub' on 14th Street that will accelerate all these trends".

The email received this past Friday afternoon from the groups sponsoring the rally states: "We have a very important ally in this effort. On Tuesday [November 7th] Carlina Rivera won election for the City Council seat covering this area. Her outgoing predecessor, Rosie Mendez, pledged ONLY to approve the Mayor’s Tech Hub plan in the City Council IF these neighborhood protections came along with it.

"Carlina Rivera, who will assume that seat in January, made the same pledge during the campaign. Because of the Mayor’s adamant opposition to protecting our neighborhood, this is the ONLY way we will get zoning or landmark protections our neighborhood needs". For this article, Councilmember Elect Rivera stated: “It’s clear this area is a target for development and our message demanding neighborhood protections has been sent to the Mayor.”

For more information and to view a detailed map showing the exact locations where a half-dozen buildings, three of which will be some 30-stories in height, are already under construction with no approval from the community, see the link below.

This link also shows architectural drawings of what the gigantic building on 14th street and others will look like; it includes details of the history of residents' requests; and chronicles the mayor's past refusals to even consider any plans submitted to include affordable housing in the area going back to March of this year; and it also links to more than a dozen media web sites that have featured coverage of community struggles to preserve the neighborhoods affected by this mayor's "Tech Hub" plans in the past. The link is located at: http://www.gvshp.org/savemyneighborhood.

NY1 recently added an important video presentation to add further explanaion to this situation. You can access this video at here (after watching a few seconds commercial)

Any questions telephone (212) 475-9585 x33 or email hbubbins@gvshp.org www.gvshp.org

* * *