WHAT: Join us for a PRESS CONFERENCE where the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) will discuss a lawsuit we are filing on behalf of Councilmember Christopher Marte and the Lower East Side and Chinatown communities. The lawsuit asserts that residents’ rights to health, welfare, and safety have been infringed upon by a major developer.

WHEN: Friday, October 21, 2022, 11-11:45AM

WHERE: 265-275 Cherry Street, New York, NY, 10002

WHY: The construction of three large-scale towers in the Lower East Side exacerbates respiratory, cardiovascular, and mental health issues for the primarily Black, Latino, and Asian American community, which has already been hardest hit in lower Manhattan by the now over two-year COVID-19 pandemic. This lawsuit makes novel use of New York’s new environmental protections just enshrined in the state constitution earlier this year.

WHO: Speakers will include:

• Bethany Li, Legal Director, AALDEF
• Christopher Marte, New York City Councilmember of District 1
• Jack L. Lester, Community Law Attorney
• Plaintiffs affected by the development
• The Coalition to Protect Chinatown & the Lower East Side
• And other community organizations

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For additional information, contact:

Stuart J. Sia
Communications Director
212.966.5932 x203
ssia@aaldef.org