Schumer Asks LG Electronics To Reduce Height Of Englewood Cliffs Building

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Saying it would forever ruin the landscape along the Hudson River, Sen. Charles Schumer is urging LG Electronics to revise its plan to build a 143-foot-tall North American headquarters in Englewood Cliffs.

In a letter to Bon-joon Koo, vice chairman of LG Electronics, Schumer, D-N.Y., asked that the South Korea-based company not build above the Palisades' tree line. LG's current plan calls for the tower to extend 70 feet above the trees. Schumer said he would like to see the company consider building horizontally so that it can maintain the same square footage.

"After more than a century of both New York and New Jersey working to preserve the unparalleled natural beauty of the Palisades, one company should not be permitted to sweep in and taint that iconic landscape, particularly when an alternative building plan exists," Schumer said in a news release Tuesday. "LG's planned tower will severely detract from the Palisades' sky line and may set a precedent for future high-rise office buildings to be built and destroy this iconic vista.

"I am all for building, development and job creation, but the type of building should be appropriate for the area it is in. And, sadly, this LG tower would stick out like a sore thumb in one of the rarest places of all - a sweep of natural beauty in the midst of the most densely packed urban area in America," Schumer added.

LG has resisted other requests to reduce the height of the building. In February, the Palisades Interstate Park Commission approved a resolution asking for a shorter building. Environmental groups and a coalition of former New Jersey governors are among the others who have unsuccessfully lobbied the company to rethink its plan.

In August, a judge sided with the borough of Englewood Cliffs in allowing the project.

LG broke ground on the 26-acre site last fall. It has pledged to plant 700 new trees on the property.

LG officials said the $300 million, energy-efficient project will blend into its surroundings and boost the economy. It is also expected to create about 2,200 construction jobs, officials said.

The building is expected to open in 2017.

You May Also Be Interested In These Stories

(TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)