MIDTOWN — Fed up with what they see as the overdevelopment of their neighborhood, a group of West Side residents has banded together in a last-ditch effort to oppose developer TF Cornerstone'snew residential building at 606 W. 57th St.
Some neighbors say that the area's schools, hospitals and public transportation can't handle the influx of new residents the massive building would bring. The project, which requires City Council approval for rezoning, would bring 1,189 units to the neighborhood, 237 of which would be permanently affordable.
"Fifty-Seventh Street is under siege," said Jessica Bondy, who lives nearby and has been lobbying City Council members to fight or shrink the development. "All of us are concerned about the unsustainability of projects this size. It's a giant, giant project."
Bondy joined with neighbors to create a coalition called Citizens for Responsible Organized West Side Development With Environmental Deference — or CROWDED for short. Roughly 150 people participated in a community-organized forum on overdevelopment and the TF Cornerstone project last week, with participation by City Councilman Corey Johnson and City Councilwoman Helen Rosenthal, organizers said.
The proposed 999,636-square-foot building is made up of four distinct elements, including two 28-story towers on the eastern half, connected by a glass bridge, and a 14-story cube on top. On the western portion of the site, a tower will rise to 17 stories.
Full article on DNAinfo (Arpil 14, 2014)