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After his controversial remarks about wanting to get World Trade Center developer Larry Silverstein out of the Ground Zero picture, Mayor Bloomberg discussed his ideas for redevelopment at a campagin stop in the Bronx. There should be housing where the Deutsche Bank once stood, and the Port Authority can move to 3 World Trade Center. Obviously he read the Paul Goldberger article in the New Yorker about Ground Zero development earlier this year, too! Of course, this has politicians in a tizzy. The NY Sun summarizes reactions: Governor George Pataki says he's perplexed, State Assembly Leader Sheldon Silver says he's outraged, and Senator Charles Schumer says Bloomberg "does not make any sense." That's because Deputy Daniel Doctoroff agreed to bulid 10 million square feet of office space downtown, while, as the Governor's statement reads, "advocating for more than 25 million square feet of commercial real estate on the West Side." Oh, yeah, that. Well, Mayor Bloomberg can chalk up this new tune to "The Result of the Weeks-Before-Election Brainstorming Session on Visionary Ideas." Senator Schumer did fault Silverstein for not being aggressive enough in getting tenants into 7 World Trade Center.
What Gothamist is curious about is how New Yorkers feel about the Mayor's plans for Ground Zero. Even though his flipflopping about commercial space is slippery politician stuff he claims not to do, we have to say its refreshing to hear a new, if late, perspective on this that makes more sense. And the NY times does note that the Regional Plan Association says the Mayor is right: "At the Listening to the City public forums in July 2002, more than 5,000 New Yorkers called for a reduction in office space on the site in favor of more civic, cultural and residential space."
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"A refreshing, if late, perspective on this that makes more sense"?? What's wrong with Gothamist lately? Jesusfuckingchrist its been over 4 YEARS since 9/11 and bloomie decides to start talking about it 2 WEEKS before the election. Are you really that gullible? On top of that, he wants to build LUXURY APARTMENTS on ground zero! you call that "refreshing perspective that makes more sense"? Shame!
What makes him think people would actually want to live ON ground zero? Those apartments would be haunted for all eternity.
Oh yeah, I forget New Yorkers have no souls
Bloomberg is close to losing thousands of votes on this point of stealing property from Silverstein. Silverstein has a lease on the property and can build what he wants. He should just build it already and Silver, Bloomberg and Pataki should fuck off.
Since the Supreme Court pretty much loosened the rules governing Eminent domain a few months back, the state or the city may have the legal backing to go ahead and take away the entire site from his control.
But of course they would need a plan on what to do with the land that benefits the public, not only private business. Maybe that’s what bloomie is gunning for. He may want a legal excuse to seize the site.
Of course the government would have to compensate Silverstein for the land, and that may very well be $$$$$. Of course that’s depending if the gov’t has final say on what its worth.
"Bloomberg is close to losing thousands of votes on this point of stealing property from Silverstein."
I think getting Silverstein out would be very popular. He is responsible for pushing out Liebeskind as the architect and installing Childs, for one thing.
You can't be 51438 serious?!?