Not An Alternative

Thursday March 31st 2PM -Singing Telegram Delivered to City Council Representatives

CONTACTS:

Laura Newman / 646-279-3348

Beka Economopolous / 917-202-5479

March 31, 2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WILLIAMSBURG REZONING COALITION DELIVERING SINGING TELEGRAMS TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS TODAY AT 2PM

Creative Industries Coalition representatives will deliver message to City Council, “Make our rezoning the best ever seen!”

Today at 2:00 pm at 250 Broadway, singing telegrams will be delivered to several City Council members by representatives of the Williamsburg/Greenpoint Creative Industries Coalition, a group of nearly 100 arts organizations, performance groups, event venues, galleries, small businesses, and light industrial manufacturers united to promote the best possible rezoning plan for the Williamsburg and Greenpoint waterfront.

The Creative Industries Coalition supports local Community Board 1’s development plan which preserves the architectural character of the neighborhood, protects the 4,000 jobs that would be lost under the Bloomberg plan, allows for park development and access for all community residents, creates affordable housing, and still provides a 30% return on investment for developers.

The Bloomberg plan would mean the construction of up to twenty-two 40-story luxury condominium towers (taller than the Williamsburg Bridge) on the Williamsburg/ Greenpoint waterfront, permanently destroying the architectural character of the neighborhood, blocking light from hundreds of other buildings, drastically raising rents for local residents and businesses, eliminating the light industrial manufacturers in the area, overburdening an already over-taxed subway line and causing other deleterious effects for the local community and New York City generally.

For more information about the community’s plan, including the 197-a’s proposed by the Community Board, a schedule of upcoming events relevant to the rezoning debate, a list of involved organizations, and more see: www.communityplan(.org)

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For a preview of the singing telegrams, click http://www.hawaiian.net/~kauai/Midi/sandman.mid and sing the lyrics below:

City Council Bring us a dream Make our rezoning the best ever seen Local jobs, bike paths and parks Skyscraper shadows leave us in the dark

City Council We are so scared Bloomberg’s rezoning More than we can bare Fat cats driving rents so high Raising condos up to the sky

City Council Please understand Chain stores encroaching Please hold our hand This place is magic, it’s got lots of charm The whole community is up in arms

City Council We are so scared Bloomberg’s rezoning More than we can bare Fat cats driving rents so high Raising condos up to the sky… Don’t let our community die… You can do it, you’ve got to try….