Maloney Statement on Sleep-In at Bushwick Inlet Park

Statement

Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney today released the following statement on this weekend's sleep-in protest at Bushwick Inlet Park

"We have held press conferences, we have written letters, but we have not gotten the result we are looking for. The city's offer for the CitiStorage site has still not been accepted. So the community decided to try something different to be sure that our voice is heard. We decided to sleep-in for our park, to make it clear that we expect promises to be kept.

"Bushwick Inlet Park was promised to this community over 10 years ago as a trade for upzoning the neighborhood. This CitiStorage site is 40% of our promised park, and that is not land we are willing to give up. I believe that the city's offer for the land is fair, and I hope that the property owner will accept. If CitiStorage accepts the offer they will be known as the champions of the neighborhood -- the people who made it possible for our park to take shape. If they reject the offer they will be known as the people who stood in the way of our park. They have a chance to make a lot of money and give something important back to the neighborhood that will be recognized for generations. I hope they take this opportunity."

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