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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Wright Harvey, Owner of Sugarlift, on Western Rail Yards and Artist Opportunities
1:50:50
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123 sec
Wright Harvey, owner of Sugarlift, testifies in support of the Western Rail Yards project, emphasizing its potential to create opportunities for artists through public art commissions and commercial art purchases. He praises Related Companies for their track record in supporting artists and urges approval of the project.
- Highlights the importance of real estate opportunities for artists' livelihoods
- Describes potential art opportunities in public spaces, buildings, and for commercial tenants
- Expresses strong support for Related Companies and their approach to community building
Wright Harvey
1:50:50
Good morning, chairman Riley, councilman council member, Bacher.
1:50:55
What an honor it is to be here, speaking with you this morning at City Hall.
1:51:01
My name is Wright Harvey.
1:51:02
I'm here to talk about jobs.
1:51:04
However, perhaps not the more visible jobs like the 70,000 construction jobs you've heard about.
1:51:12
I'm a small business owner, and I run a business that connects artists, think painters, sculptors, with opportunities in real estate.
1:51:22
These real estate opportunities not only put art into the world, they're an important lifeline for the artist community.
1:51:29
They help artists afford materials, workspace, cover living expenses, and more importantly, allow them to make our lives that much richer.
1:51:39
Take a moment to look around this beautiful room and imagine a world without artists.
1:51:44
When these real estate opportunities go away, the artist community suffers.
1:51:50
The Western Rail Yards is an important opportunity for New York artists.
1:51:54
Think of the public art commissions for the 5.6 acres of public space, the buildings, lobbies, and interiors, prominent commercial tenants buying art for their offices, residents collecting art for their homes, potentially gaming operators who are big consumers of art to create unique and exciting experiences for their guests.
1:52:16
Related Companies is one of, if not the best, real estate developer in the world.
1:52:22
They have a track record of supporting artists and nonprofits as part of their projects.
1:52:28
They support artists not because they have to, but because it's one component of building a vibrant, successful community.
1:52:37
They do it because it's the right thing to do.
1:52:40
I personally strongly support related companies, and I strongly encourage us to give them the support they need to take on this immense challenge and build a neighborhood we can all be proud of.
1:52:53
Thank you.