Statements from Candidates for Manhattan Borough President 2021
Borough Presidents Speak for Residents on Land Use at City Agencies, at City Council, to the Press and Beyond.
Borough Presidents have sway with the Mayor!
Save Central Park NYC has reached out to each candidate for Manhattan Borough President asking three questions and for a statement regarding their position on Supertalls and Out-of-Context development.
Most have confirmed that they will not be accepting funds from the real estate community. Three have provided statements. You can see all the details here and on our website. We will update you when the others respond.
Candidate Statements:
Ms. Lindsey Boylan: I spent the first decade of my career managing public parks and green spaces in New York City. Central Park is a vital part of the culture and quality of life of New Yorkers as a whole, and supertall towers pushed by profiteering developers threaten to cast a literal shadow on one of our most treasured green spaces. This fight goes beyond the green space and skyline that define our shared landscape. If we continue allowing developer-led land use initiatives, we are not going to get the affordable housing we need, we are not going to help preserve small scale retail, and we are not going to address the fundamental affordability and equity problems of our city.
Senator Brad Hoylman: I was proud to join Save Central Park in the fight against the blight of supertall buildings as your State Senator, and I promise to continue to stand with you as Manhattan Borough President. We need laws and a zoning code that restrict the abuse of mechanical voids and other loopholes developers have long exploited at the cost of our communities. Our neighborhoods and our green spaces must be protected for all New Yorkers, not just the super-wealthy.
Council Member Ben Kallos: Too many parks and open spaces in Manhattan are under attack by supertall buildings and the shadows they cast. If we keep building supertalls the only people who will get to enjoy the light and air in our City are billionaires. Construction in Manhattan needs to be contextual to the neighborhood it is in. That means developers have to take into account how their structures affect the neighborhoods and areas they are in. I make sure I am not beholden to developers that is why I have not and will not take their political contributions. Building as tall as possible every time there is an opportunity is detrimental to our neighborhoods. We need height caps and we need to work to protect the parks that give New Yorkers open space to enjoy the sun and be outside on something other than concrete.
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