Community weighs in once more on Extell’s proposed Riverside Center

A final hearing was held last night for the public to weigh in on Riverside Center, the proposed complex that Extell Development wants to build on the Upper West Side, DNAinfo reported. The city council subcommittee on zoning and franchises heard more than four hours of testimony on the project, which would bring five high-rises, stores, a hotel, a movie theater, a parking garage and an auto showroom to eight acres between West 59th Street, West 61st Street, West End Avenue and Riverside Boulevard. As at past meetings, community members asked Extell to make changes to the project including eliminating one of the buildings, making at least 20 percent of the housing “affordable” and building a 150,000-square-foot school. Extell president Gary Barnett said that he’s given in to several community demands already, but he wouldn’t budge on requests to eliminate one of the high-rises because it would make the project “economically infeasible.” [DNAinfo]