Labor unions took to the steps of City Hall Tuesday morning to support the construction of embattled Harlem towers just before a City Council committee vote.
Unions 32BJ and Local 79 defended the project known as One45, a duo of 363-foot-tall towers planned to be built on West 145th Street and Lenox Avenue. While Harlem locals have raised concern about the skyscrapers, worrying that they could be the harbingers of gentrification, union leaders believe that the plans pose a great opportunity for the community investment and growth.
“After good talks with the developer, we have come to see how many opportunities are being dealt within this project,” political organizer for 32BJ Marissa Williams said. “This is exactly the type of project that we need in our city. It is a development that will ensure good building service jobs but also be a development that will include high quality workforce housing, senior housing, MIH and market rate.”