LOWER MANHATTAN — More than 100 supporters of the Chinatown Working Group rezoning plan marched from the Lower East Side to City Hall Wednesday afternoon, calling on the city to adopt the plan and prevent the construction of an 80-story luxury tower on the East River Waterfront.
“What do we want?” organizers asked in English, Spanish and Mandarin through a megaphone as coalition members huddled under umbrellas at the corner of Cherry and Pike streets next to the Manhattan Bridge, where the Extell Development Co. has been building One Manhattan Square, a luxury development where units will go for $1 million to $3 million.
“Rezoning!” supporters shouted back.
The coalition, made up of dozens of community organizations, and nearby residents fear the structure will further gentrify the area and push longtime, low-income tenants from the area, even though the developer plans to build a 13-story building filled with affordable units adjacent to the tower.
Coalition to Protect Chinatown and the Lower East Side March Through Chinatown to City Hall
From there the group marched into Chinatown towards City Hall, drawing curious stares from passerby as participants chanted, “Lower East Side, not for sale” and “Chinatown, not for sale” while handing out fliers.
In an effort to protect their neighborhoods, the coalition — which organized a similar march last month that was attended by about 1,000 people — has been calling on the city to adopt the Chinatown Working Group's rezoning plan, which was developed by dozens of community organizations over several years.
The plan would require developers to include permanently affordable housing and prohibit landowners from making major renovations or demolitions without an “anti-harassment certification.” It would also impose height restrictions and limit the number of hotels and big box stores in the coverage area.
Curious Passerby Take Photos of the March
But the Department of City Planning has said the plan is too broad and has asked the group to prioritize its objectives and point out areas where zoning changes could result in new affordable housing productions, the agency’s primary goal. The coalition however, has rejected the suggestion.
“Suffice it to say, many of the changes we’ve set in motion—from eliminating luxury condos from the 421-a program to our new mandatory inclusionary housing policy—would have likely resulted in a different project were this starting from scratch today,” said mayoral spokesman Wiley Norvell in a statement addressing the coalition’s demands.
Extell did not immediately respond to a request for comment.