July 18, 2018
The Honorable Carlina Rivera
Council Member
NY City Council
209 East 3rd Street
New York, NY 10009
Dear Council Member Rivera:
As you know, for years the East Village / Lower East Side has witnessed an accelerating loss of the low scale historic buildings, mom-and-pop stores, and affordable apartments that have always been a large part of its heart and soul. Not long ago we saw yet another example of this with the demolition of the wonderfully ornate historic residential buildings at 112-120 East 11th Street, which are now in the process of being replaced by a 12 story hotel. This is not the type of construction intended to benefit the community.
The mayor’s recent proposal for a Tech Hub along Third and Fourth Avenues and East 14th Street threatens to further intensify this trend by putting even more commercial development pressure on our community.
I’m writing on behalf of Lower East Side Preservation Initiative (LESPI) to respectively request that you vote against the Tech Hub unless neighborhood protections, including expanding the East Village / Lower East Side and East 10th Street Historic Districts, are established. This is necessary to help retain the neighborhood’s historic architecture; keep its traditional mixed-use blend of residential and small-scale commercial; maintain its stock of affordable housing; and prevent the out-of-scale development that will destroy the East Village / Lower East Side’s special character.
Thank you for your support on this important issue to date!
Sincerely,
Richard D. Moses
President
