August. 2, 2019
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All told, there were three lawsuits filed against the developers and city that sought to stop the project. Two others, filed by various community groups, argued that the project was completely in violation of city zoning regulations and should not be approved at all.
While Judge Engoron has already heard testimony for the other two cases, he has yet to rule on them.
Nonetheless, the decision on the City Council case was critical to all involved. For opponents of large high-rise developments, it also sent a message about the role of the judicial branch, which has often favored developers and the city in land use cases.
“It’s great to know that the court takes its oversight authority seriously,” said Paula Segal, an attorney who argued one of the lawsuits for a collection of five community groups that included Good Old Lower East Side. “Usually there’s so much deference to the city.”
