Village Preservation's video: 2023 City Council District 1 Candidates Forum

On May 30th, 2023, Village Preservation and the Lower East Side Preservation Initiative (LESPI) held a forum with candidates for the 1st City Council District, currently represented by City Councilmember Christopher Marte. This diverse district includes most of Manhattan south of Houston Street. Because of the decennial redistricting, this election is for a two-year term, and the district boundaries are new. The primary election will be held on June 27, 2023, with early voting from June 17 to 25. The general election will be held on November 7, 2023. This was a unique opportunity to hear from candidates about preservation, development, and planning issues in our neighborhood, and how they will deal with them as City Councilmember. Candidates in attendance are Christopher Marte, Susan Lee, and Helen Qiu. There was an opportunity for questions from the public moderated by the hosts, and the forum will be recorded and shared after. The City Council plays an enormously important role in land use, development, and preservation issues, particularly on the local level. They are local neighborhoods’ advocates and representatives to our city government.