December 19, 2006
Silver Delays Atlantic Yards Ruling Till 2007
NY State Assembly Speaker Sheldon has done it again: NY1 reports that Silver has delayed ruling on the Atlantic Yards project because "he still has financial questions." The NY Sun had a story today about growing pressure for Silver to delay the vote, given outcry from not just civic groups like the Municipal Art Society, Regional Plan Association, Citizen's Union, and National Resources Defense Council, but other politicians as well. Brooklyn Papers also adds that the AY is a "$4-billion project would require hundreds of millions in direct and indirect public subsidies, but the actual size of the taxpayer contribution to the project has never been released." So there are big questions, and it's not just Silver showing off his power.
And what a year for both Silver and Governor Pataki: This the second big block-the-project parting gift Silver has given Pataki - remember the Moynihan Station block in October? Well, the Moynihan Station will be up for review at the Public Authorities Control Board meeting tomorrow, too.
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Excellent! Good move on Silver’s part. Ratner is finally getting bit in the ass for not being upfront and honest about the costs/subsidies for the project. This also doesn't make Silver out to be a "bad guy." These are legit concerns which should be addressed before rushing into anything.
bruce ratner gets coal in his stocking!
I second bthirsch. Silver is no "bad guy," he's just doing his job. It's about time someone put the brakes on this incredibly rushed project. Better to ask questions now instead of having regrets later.
Thank G*d!
Hopefully Silver will get the answers and disclose them as they should be. Once they're revealed, it will be obvious what a rush job this was and how there was little to no oversight.
It will reveal how Pataki and Gargano did everything in their power to ram this through before the end of the Pataki administration.
Oh please, Silver will only approve projects that benefit him or his district in some way. We have a horrible system in NY for dealing with funding for these types of projects. Three people decide the fate of entire projects. What BS.
The Moynihan Station should have been approved. The Atlantic Yards project? Maybe not so much.
Sheldon Silver's "postponement" of the Atlantic Yards project vote is an exercise of his power as the most influential politician/power broker in New York State today. It's payback for a multi-million dollar lobbying campaign and advances the agenda of one of the region's most dominant corporate players. Charles & Jim Dolan, with the essential help of Silver, have been aided in protecting and potentially expanding their Madison Square Garden/Cablevision NYC sports & entertainment arena & broadcasting empire, as follows:
(1) defeat construction of a competitor's (NY Jets') indoor/outdoor stadium-convention center addition proposed to be constructed over the LIRR West Side (Cammerer) railroad yards;
(2) defeat another competitor's (Brooklyn Nets) arena proposed to be constructed over the LIRR Atlantic (Vanderbilt) railroad yards;
(3) halt imminent construction of Moynihan Station and hold it hostage to an agreement allowing MSG to construct the fifth incarnation of Madison Square Garden above it (which would be located farther from subway lines), and seeking to profit from construction of new office buildings at Penn Plaza in connection with the existing arena being torn down; and
(4) continuing/extending the special state law (enacted solely for benefit of MSG) granting it a multi-million dollar annual real estate tax-exemption for land MSG occupies/will occupy in future.
Sheldon Silver's "postponement" of the Atlantic Yards project vote is an exercise of his power as the most influential politician/power broker in New York State today. It's payback for a multi-million dollar lobbying campaign and advances the agenda of one of the region's most dominant corporate players. Charles & Jim Dolan, with the essential help of Silver, have been aided in protecting and potentially expanding their Madison Square Garden/Cablevision NYC sports & entertainment arena & broadcasting empire, as follows:
(1) defeat construction of a competitor's (NY Jets') indoor/outdoor stadium-convention center addition proposed to be constructed over the LIRR West Side (Cammerer) railroad yards;
(2) defeat another competitor's (Brooklyn Nets) arena proposed to be constructed over the LIRR Atlantic (Vanderbilt) railroad yards;
(3) halt imminent construction of Moynihan Station and hold it hostage to an agreement allowing MSG to construct the fifth incarnation of Madison Square Garden above it (which would be located farther from subway lines), and seeking to profit from construction of new office buildings at Penn Plaza in connection with the existing arena being torn down; and
(4) continuing/extending the special state law (enacted solely for benefit of MSG) granting it a multi-million dollar annual real estate tax-exemption for land MSG occupies/will occupy in future.
Sheldon Silver's "postponement" of the Atlantic Yards project vote is an exercise of his power as the most influential politician/power broker in New York State today. It's payback for a multi-million dollar lobbying campaign and advances the agenda of one of the region's most dominant corporate players. Charles & Jim Dolan, with the essential help of Silver, have been aided in protecting and potentially expanding their Madison Square Garden/Cablevision NYC sports & entertainment arena & broadcasting empire, as follows:
(1) defeat construction of a competitor's (NY Jets') indoor/outdoor stadium-convention center addition proposed to be constructed over the LIRR West Side (Cammerer) railroad yards;
(2) defeat another competitor's (Brooklyn Nets) arena proposed to be constructed over the LIRR Atlantic (Vanderbilt) railroad yards;
(3) halt imminent construction of Moynihan Station and hold it hostage to an agreement allowing MSG to construct the fifth incarnation of Madison Square Garden above it (which would be located farther from subway lines), and seeking to profit from construction of new office buildings at Penn Plaza in connection with the existing arena being torn down; and
(4) continuing/extending the special state law (enacted solely for benefit of MSG) granting it a multi-million dollar annual real estate tax-exemption for land MSG occupies/will occupy in future.
silver was lobbied by cablevision to vote against the west side stadium. There was a story in the post recently about how he gets free tickets to rangers game. Not a stretch to think that they had a hand in his decision.
Personaly I wish that when it came to authorizing public domain for development projects that the public got to vote on projects as opposed to politicians.
Why was blocking the Moynihan project a gift for Pataki?
"...Municipal Art Society, Regional Plan Association, Citizen's Union, and National Resources Defense Council..."
How about the SPRFUB? The Society for the Prevention of Really Fucking Ugly Buildings?
Silver is a hack, but what the hell, a broken clock is right twice a day.
I get it now, Irony. I thought you were too sweet for irony!
I appologize in advance to all the grieving sports fans out there, but we are talking about a Brooklyn community and neighborhood, not a sports event.
Silver made the right decision in postponing the decision until next year. We can only hope the new leaders in Albany will effect the project in a more positive and fair manner than the last.
Fairness and transparency in the process would create a much better development project for the Atlantic Avenue rail yard site. We need a government that remembers its fiduciary duty to its citizens, and a governor that will bring the Empire State back to what is commonly known as "a New York State of Mind."
Lets keep Brooklyn, Brooklyn.
Charles
Park Slope, Bklyn