Elizabeth Yeampierre, the leader of Uprose, an environmental justice group, said residents of Sunset Park, where many small businesses have been hit hard by the pandemic and might not reopen, were worried that they would not be hired for the new jobs. She questioned the wisdom of building in a storm surge zone, and said the developers had made promises about community engagement, including proposing a public high school, without listening to feedback from residents.
“None of their recommendations came from the community, and they are inconsistent with our community needs,” she said.