Electronics firm, critics resolve dispute over planned 143-foot proposed corporate tower
An electronics company will sharply reduce the height of its planned 143-foot corporate tower in a northern New Jersey community, resolving concerns raised by critics.
The agreement announced Tuesday by LG Electronics USA calls for a five-story north wing in Englewood Cliffs that will be just shy of 70 feet in height. There will also be a three-story south wing.
Conservation groups who had opposed the $300 million project will now withdraw their appeal of zoning approvals the company received from the Bergen County town. A state judge had upheld the approvals in 2013.
Officials say the deal — reached after 11 months of negotiations — protects scenic views of the Palisades along the Hudson River.
"The entire community is thrilled that LG will remain in our town, while demonstrating in a very real way LG's commitment to preservation of the environment," Englewood Cliffs Mayor Joseph Parisi Jr. said. "This partnership is very good for Englewood Cliffs, Bergen County, the state of New Jersey and the entire Tri-State region."
The company says the new 360,000-square-foot corporate campus will allow it to double its local employment to more than 1,000 by 2019.
"We have found a solution that satisfies LG's business needs and addresses concerns of our neighbors on both sides of the Hudson," said William Cho, the president and CEO of LG Electronics.