ENGELWOOD CLIFFS, NJ—The controversy over the LG Electronics USA headquarters now under construction here has taken a rare turn as a coalition of investment funds and foundations sent a letter to the firm asking it to reduce the height of its planned 143-foot building.

In the letter sent to LG executives Thursday, the 32 groups that described themselves as “shareholders” and “potential investors,” stated, “While this controversy in New Jersey and New York may seem like just a local issue, it goes well beyond that and speaks to LG's overall corporate responsiveness.”

The coalition's letter also noted, “If LG refuses to change its building design, we think its corporate reputation could be tarnished for years to come, as its new headquarters would become an unwanted symbol of the company's refusal to listen to its host community rather than a celebration of LG's corporate integrity and its respect for the community's environmental, historical, and cultural heritage.”

The signers include the Christian Brothers Investment Services, the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Trillium Asset Management, and Boston Common Asset Management. LG refused comment on the investor letter, according to The Record.

The Natural Resources Defense Council, a New York City-based environmental group, has led the opposition against the project's height. An appeal of a ruling that upheld variances granted to the property is pending. A lawsuit has also been filed against a rezoning of the property. See story in The Record.