A protest is scheduled at the Independence Plaza garage
A group of neighbors are organizing a protest at the Independence Plaza garage on Harrison, where, they suspect, ICE is storing vehicles. The protest is scheduled for Monday, August 3, at 5:30p, on the corner of Harrison and Greenwich.
The garage is full of unmarked giant SUVs with no license plates — and it’s hard to guess at another use other than undercover enforcement. They learned more than I did when I did this post; according to the flyer, some federal agency has a contract with Icon for the garage. (The press reps for Independence Plaza sent me to Icon; Icon never replied.)
The cars have been there at least since April, if Nosy Neighbor notes from folks are a good indicator. Icon leases and oversees all garages at Independence Plaza. In the case of this one, there is no Icon signage as there is for the garage across the street. (Also, I think the address there is actually 310 Greenwich, even though it is immediately west of the historic Harrison Street townhouses.)
The flyer notes that the CEO of Vornado Realty Trust, the largest commercial landlord in the city and also the majority owner of Independence Plaza, is Steven Roth. And Roth has been a devoted supporter of Donald Trump as an investor in his real estate projects and his presidential candidacy.
You can read more about that relationship from the Community First Development Coalition, the Tribeca non-profit founded to fight the tower at IPN.
