LGE agrees to lower height of new HQs in New Jersey

Ending years of dispute, LG Electronics and U.S. conservation groups agreed Tuesday to lower the height of the Korean tech giant’s planned North American headquarters in New Jersey.

The original plan for LG’s headquarters in the U.S. state included a 143-foot-tall building, which conservationists argued would obstruct the views of the New Jersey Palisades, a series of cliffs stretching along the Hudson River. 

LG, the world’s second-largest TV-maker, said the building would consist of a five-story north wing under 70 feet in height and a three-story south wing.

“Both sides showed a willingness to compromise, recognizing that there is a greater good to be acknowledged for the people, economy and environment of New Jersey,” William Cho, chief executive of the Korean firm’s U.S. division, said in a statement.

The construction of the new 360,000-square-foot campus is expected to double local employment to more than 1,000 people by 2019.

Conservation groups including the New Jersey State Federation of Women’s Clubs, the New Jersey Conservation Foundation, the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference and Scenic Hudson participated in the settlement discussions.

The construction project started in 2009 after LG was granted approval from New Jersey, Bergen County and Englewood Cliffs, but has been put on hold due to lawsuits and strong protests by conservationists.

Among the opponents to the original building plan was Laurance Rockefeller, whose family donated much of the land for the Palisades Interstate Park.

Local organizations and individuals praised the Korean firm’s move to protect the landmark of the New Jersey area.

“We express particular gratitude to the corporate citizens who lead LG for acting with such sensitivity to demonstrate that business interests, the environment and culture can all continue to thrive in harmony on these historic shores,” said Thomas Campbell, director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The Met museum runs a branch in northern Manhattan that sits across the Palisades cliffs. 

By Kim Young-won  (wone0102@heradlcorp.com)