As the City’s largest and most diverse coalition of the design, construction and real estate industry, the New York Building Congress is committed to promoting well-planned development that improves the City’s economic health and quality of life. We are pleased to offer our support today for the completion of the East River Park Greenway.
In order for an expanded Park to become a reality, the details of the land swap must be agreed upon by the City and State by October 10. We urge the parties to negotiate actively so that we do not miss this historic opportunity to complete one of the final links in a greenway that wraps around the island of Manhattan.
The benefits of this deal are manifold: not only will the City add sorely needed parkland, the deal will also permit the long-hoped for expansion of the United Nations headquarters. The two projects combined will generate billions of dollars in direct and indirect economic activity, an enormous boost for our troubled economy.
The City and State have taken important steps to attract investment, retain a highly skilled workforce, develop tourism, and diversify our economy. The Greenway and the United Nations represent the next phase of this effort.
New York’s leaders must therefore take the necessary steps to ensure the East River Park Greenway and the United Nations projects can proceed after October 10. For the City and State to continue to thrive, these are the types of core investments in our infrastructure that must be made.
We urge the leadership represented here to expedite execution of land use agreement between the City and the State that will permit these vital growth projects.
