Hundreds Turn Out to Protest Hotel Gansevoort's 8-Story-High Billboards
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Billboard Protest: About 200 people -- including residents and business owners in the West Village/Meatpacking District and representatives of State Senator Tom Duane -- participated in a noisy demonstration yesterday organized by GVSHP to protest two huge new billboards erected by the Hotel Gansevoort on Hudson Street (See below for photos of the demonstration and more information on the billboards). GVSHP and demonstrators began on Hudson Street and marched to the front entrance of the Hotel, handing flyers to hotel guests and other Meat Market vistors urging them to tell the hotel to take down the billboards. The well-attended demonstration garnered attention and coverage from the New York Times, the New York Post, NY 1, New York Metro, Channels 5, 7, and 9, the Villager, and Curbed.
Status of the Billboards: The Department of Buildings continues to review information we have submitted pertaining to the billboards but unfortunately has not yet found the billboards to be in violation of zoning regulations. Hotel Gansevoort President Michael Achenbaum responded to GVSHP's letter urging him to take down the billboards by "declin(ing) your request for us to remove the signage" while Hotel Gansevoort CEO Elon Kenchington was quoted in the New York Times as saying that the billboards would bring 'warmth and light' to what is "pretty much a dead area."
Next Steps: GVSHP and neighbors have vowed to keep fighting to see this sign removed. In addition to continuing to lobby the Department of Buildings and the Hotel Gansevoort, we will let you know soon about next steps to keep the pressure on.
Next: 02/22/07
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