Monserrate Paves the Way for Willets Point Plan's Passage

Hiram Monserrate, the City Councilman who had been one of the leading voices of opposition foiling Mayor Bloomberg’s redevelopment plans in Willets Point, announced yesterday that he has struck a deal with the mayor and thrown his support behind the proposal which is expected to be voted on (and will now likely pass) today. The new deal includes guarantee that one-third of the housing built to be marked "permanently affordable” for low-income families, an 850-seat school and a convention center to be built in the area, a $3 million tenant relocation fund available for area businesses and job training and placement for the 1,300 affected workers.The plan still doesn’t rule out the possibility that the city will have to invoke eminent domain. Not all of Monserrate’s constituents were happy with his announcement—some local business owners painted over his name on his campaign bus.

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By Billy Parker in News on November 13, 2008 10:30 AM

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whitecastlerock

I am more embarrassed that 2 baseballs stadiums are almost complete and there is still chaos surrounding the World Trade Center site. Willets Point, developed or not, is in the middle of nowhere. The City Council and the Mayor are under the impression that this has to be done! In their infinite wisdom they want to take over the area and build an ill fated convention center and housing. it just comes across as another boondoggle and waste of time and money.

ANGRYGOD11

Yes, the abuse of eminent domain to favor a "better" owner of private property over the inferior beings paying less taxes bothers me.

However, if you've ever been to Wrigley Field, Camden Yards or any of the other baseball stadiums with nightlife just across the street, instead of the industrial dump outside of Shea/Citi Field, then maybe you might feel a little different.

What we have around Citi Field and Yankee Stadium is an embarrassment.

FelixtheCat & Christine Quinn'

most of these city council members except tony avella are scums

FelixtheCat & Christine Quinn'

you people never learn, stop voting for the city council members, most of them accept tony avella are rotten. James Gennaro, Michael McMahon, Monserrate,etc. stop voting for these crooks. They don't represent us but themselves. they represent the lobbyists and the votes are for sale to the highest bidder.

whitecastlerock

Why don't these politicians focus on building downtown-where the Twin Towers once were. Pour 100% of their energies into that. Why they feel the need to take over junkyards in the middle of nowhere is beyond me. Hiram Monserrate is a scumbag for rolling over like he did. This whole thing stinks

ides_of_march

When the Supreme Court decided that "public" use in fact meant "private" use in regards to eminent domain (Kelo decision) Americans lost one of their fundamental rights as citizens, the right to private property.

It also meant that the words in the constitution could be twisted and their definitions reversed at will to the point where they are meaningless.

The scary thing is hardly anybody noticed.