Protesters get close to Mayor Adams as he discusses NYC skyline's future
NEW YORK - Protesters managed to get uncomfortably close to New York City Mayor Eric Adams while he was giving a speech about the future of the city, including its iconic skyline.
During the event, protesters chanted "What do we need? A new mayor."
"That's not going to solve the problems in the city, by yelling," Adams said.
Several protesters stormed the stage moments after he had announced progress on a new 62-story office tower at 350 Park Avenue at a power breakfast held by the Association for a Better New York.
The demonstrators were with the group "Planet Over Profit." They accuse the mayor of caring more about the rich than working class New Yorkers.
The mayor compared building the new office tower to the building of the Empire State Building generations ago. It comes as lawmakers in Albany hammer out plans to convert office space into residential housing, and loosen what is known as the 12 FAR Cap, requiring buildings be no more than 12 times the size of their lots.
"We have a housing shortage that we haven't seen in several generations in New York City," State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal said.
Hoylman-Sigal said the details of housing reforms in the next budget are still being worked on.
"Nobody in the senate wants to lift the FAR Cap and not protect our existing historic districts," he said. "Affordable housing, local control."
Andrew Berman is executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation.
"If we do change the FAR Cap, we have said it should be for buildings that are exclusively or predominantly affordable and it should be an areas that already allow very large buildings in them," Berman said.
"We need to protect rent stabilized buildings," Hoylman-Sigal said. "Our historic rent reforms prevent the demolition of rent stabilized housing."
Hoylman-Sigal also said market rate tenants could get new protections as well, allowing some to challenge rent hikes if they exceed the rate of inflation plus 5-10%
Four people involved in the disruption were taken into custody. They will be charged with criminal trespass and disorderly conduct.
