Governor Cuomo insists building America's largest convention center in Queens will be a big boon for New York State and Queens. That remains to be seen, but it's already been good for one Heywood Sanders, an economics professor at the University of Texas in San Antonio. Sanders has been getting a lot of exposure since Cuomo announced his big plan to get a Malaysian company to build the mammoth convention center; soon after Cuomo's speech, Sanders told the Times, "The convention business is a disaster everywhere. Simply building more space gets you nothing more than a big empty building." more ›

Did you realize that the day the Javits Center opened, it was "outdated and already behind schedule"? more ›

The biggest news to come out of Governor Cuomo's State of the State address yesterday was his big idea to raze the Javits Center and partner with a Malaysian company to build a $4 billion convention center, with a hotel and expanded gambling space, out in Jamaica, Queens. It would be bigger than America's current-largest convention center in Chicago, and Cuomo promises it would "bring to New York the largest events, driving demand for hotel rooms and restaurant meals and creating tax revenues and jobs, jobs, jobs. In addition to the new convention space, up to 3,000 hotel rooms will be developed. We will make New York the No. 1 convention site in the nation." Your move, Shelbyville! more ›

Governor Spitzer is facing opposition in his attempt to snuff out any Javits Center expansion by selling land surrounding the center to fill budget gaps. The administration still plans to renovate the convention center, but it will result in far less space than what was originally envisioned for the expansion, which would have cost between $1.8 billion and $3 billion. Senator Charles Schumer, Mayor Bloomberg and City Council speaker Christine C. Quinn oppose the land sale, which would effectively eliminate the possibility of any future expansion. more ›

Even while targeted in the Troopergate scandal, State Senate leader Joseph Bruno was living in high style. The New York Sun is reporting that Bruno enjoyed a 3,500 square foot, two-story penthouse suite at the Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers, just weeks before the legislature selected the hotel chain to construct a luxury hotel in Albany.

On November 30, the nine-member board of the Albany Convention Center Authority, which includes a member appointed by Mr. Bruno, voted to begin negotiations with Starwood Hotels and Resorts, of which Sheraton is a subsidiary, as operator of a 400-room hotel to be built in downtown Albany near the senate leader's district. more ›

The proposed expansion of the Jacob J. Javitz convention center is essentially dead in the water as government officials admitted that the amount of money it would cost to undertake the project would not be worth the marginal return on investment that additional tax revenues would provide. Empire State Development Corporation chairman Pat Foye testified that about half of the expansion plan's $1.6 billion budget would be consumed just making repairs to the existing Javits structure. more ›

EVENT: Into anime? It's your lucky weekend, the New York Anime Festival is in town! There will be previews, screenings and panels galore. Check out their website for more details. All Weekend // Jacob Javits Convention Center [655 W 34th St] // $30 day pass, $55 weekend pass SHOP: FIT and the Design Mavens come together for a 3 day shopstravaganza. Tons of designers we're not cool enough to have ever heard of will be... more ›

Grand plans for the 7 line extension have run into the harsh reality of budgetary constraints. Originally, the 7 line was going to be extended westward from its terminus at 42nd St. and 7th Ave. to a stop at the Javits Convention Center at 41st St. and 11th Ave., before heading south to 34th St. and the proposed Hudson Yards development site. Construction for the $2.1 billion project is going to be paid for by the MTA, which hopes to recoup its investment with proceeds from development of those Hudson Yards. MTA officials are now conceding that the project will be less ambitious. more ›

The Dalai Lama has arrived in New York, speaking in his native Tibetan language for two hours yesterday to followers, fans and the faithful at the Javits Convention Center. Newsday reports:

He delivered his entire speech without notes, pausing to take a sip of tea only at the end as tears of joy flowed through the crowd. [He stated:] "The Tibetan cause is a cause of justice, and that's something that cannot fade away. That is the nature of truth _ that it cannot die with time and with the change of generations."

A memorial to thousands of people buried in downtown Manhattan will open to the public Friday at 1 p.m., and there will be a candlelight procession at 8 p.m. from Battery Park to the monument at Duane and Elk Sts. The African Burial Ground National Monument is set to open 16 years after construction workers discovered human remains while doing foundation work on a downtown federal building. more ›

The area across from Shea Stadium known as the Iron Triangle has never seemed suitable for housing, mostly because it was home to hundreds of auto shops. That could all change, if Mayor Bloomberg gets his way. Yesterday, the mayor announced a master plan to revitalize Willets Point, the official name of the 61-acre area in Northern Queens. The plan would replace the 250 businesses, which employ about 1,300 people, with housing, office space, restaurants and shops, a hotel, and a convention center. The plain claims that it will create 20,000 construction jobs and 6,100 permanent jobs. If approved, it would also be "the first neighborhood, and the City's largest development project to incorporate "green" building technology." more ›

Car makers are flocking to the city with the New York International Auto Show opening this weekend (media previews start tomorrow) at the Javits Convention Center, and there's one particularly NYC-focused exhibit: Taxi '07. more ›

EVENT: Housing works is opening their new store in Brooklyn today. With great events and thrifty finds and a way to support the HIV-positive homeless community, it's nice to see the store is expanding. more ›

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Empire View, by Santi-Jose. more ›

Close your eyes for a moment (Crap, I guess this doesn’t work as well in print – maybe have a friend/co-worker with a soothing yet textured voice read the first paragraph to you). Ok, now imagine a magical land where each place you went, greeted you with a frosty beverage. Turn right and there’s a fine crafted, small production stout, straight ahead a zesty, refreshing Hefeweizen and perhaps a nutty, spicy ale and behind you, well most likely a line of people waiting for you to make a decision (people get antsy when beer is involved). As you walk through this magical land of beer salty snacks are scattered like clovers, refreshing your palate and prepping it for its next destination. Just over the hill are clusters of IPA’s so good you’re almost hesitant to move on but the glistening lights reflected off of Lager lake beckon you for a quick dip. Ok, now open your eyes. We bet you’re pretty thirsty, aye? Yeah, us too. Good thing Brewtopia is only a few weeks away. more ›

The Javits Center isn't the only NYC convention center getting ready for a growth spurt. Though the Javits expansion has been hitting snags of late (like, uh, who is going to pay for it?) the Times today reports on the Bloomberg administrations newest pet convention project, the smaller convention area currently on Pier 94. more ›

Or at least that's what World Trade Center leaseholder Larry Silverstein promised yesterday, now that he and the Port Authority have agreed on terms that divvy up control of Ground Zero's various components. "I have instructed our construction team to mobilize into the site tomorrow so that we can begin construction of the Freedom Tower immediately," he told the media. The Port Authority says that the eastern section of the WTC site will be excavated by next year, in order for Silverstein to start building his towers (Towers 2, 3, and 4 in the plan). At this point, (Gothamist can barely remember what's supposed to be at Ground Zero, so we've been going back to the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation's website about the WTC site - but we're not sure if all the changes have been updated on it.) more ›

Nothing the Yankees do is without controversy. The proposed new stadium for the Bronx Bombers is coming under fire from some Bronx residents as the plan calls for the stadium to be built on two parks - the Macombs Dam Park and John Mullaly Park. The public hearing on the $800 million project had 85 speakers which the Daily News reports were chanting back and forth - "Build it now!" and "Not on the park!". The two parks, totaling 22 acres, is eventually to be replaced by 28 acres of new park. more ›

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The official site: NY International Auto Show; tickets are available online or at the door. Plus, if you're not dodging cars in traffic or struggling with alternate side of the street parking to get to the auto show, you can check out live auto show coverage at Jalopnik. And who knew that an Andrew Dice Clay movie would share the name with a Ford (above)? more ›

As for our fine city's support of the Olympics, it's generally positive, with 59%, but it turns out that's tepid compared to other cities. NYC 2012 estimated public support to be 64-79% (wishful thinking!), the IOC poll found only 59% support. In other candidate cities, the IOC found 68% in London, 91% in Madrid (even higher than what Madrid's 2012 committee found), 85% in Paris (8% higher than Paris 2012 found), and 76-77% in Moscow. This is so going to Madrid or Paris. And the city's support of the Mayor seems to be faulting because of West Side Stadium, making Gothamist realize if you want to flame out, you might as well flame out big. more ›

Oh, Hudson Yards/NY Sports and Convention Center - what a soap opera you have become. So MTA thinks that getting the most money possible for the West Side railyards is more important than a West Side Stadium. And the city is thinking about using revenue from city real estate development to fund the stadium. Whatever the case, as an editorial in the NY Times notes that MTA Chairman Peter Kalikow holds all the cards with making the decision as to who gets the yards. Typically, Gothamist would be frightened to hear that, but since there's so much public attention, we're hoping Chairman K doesn't screw things up. He's asked Cablevision to prove its offer is real, while assuring the Jets that the MTA is interested in making sure their negotiations work out. So, choose wisely...choose wisely. more ›

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Although Vinny Testaverde will not be present, Gothamist can't help but think of the last time these two teams met in East Rutherford on a Monday night. more ›

Much of the off-season talk among Jets fans, politicians and residents of the West Side of Manhattan has centered on one thing – the proposed $1.4 billion New York Sports and Convention Center. While Cablevision (the parent company of Madison Square Garden) has led a high-budget campaign for public opinion, while the team has recently started its counterstrike with legend Joe Namath extolling the potential of the project, of which the city would cover $600 million (and team owner Woody Johnson paying the remaining $800 million). Mayor Bloomberg and company are pushing for the project heavily, ostensibly as a boon to the city’s hopes of landing the 2012 Olympic Summer Games. more ›

More on the elaborate West Side development plans. more ›

Of course, with the prospect of thousands of jobs and millions of dollars of projected revenue, Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Pataki are on the offensive, calling the plan a way to "catapult NY" to the fore of the convention industry as well as a way to "bring the NFL back to NY." more ›

- A boulevard between 10th and 11th Avenues up to 39th Street, with more fountains, cafes, and promenades. more ›

This week, Gizmodo blogs live from Euro Disneyland. ("Live, from Marne-la-Vallee!") Gothamist hears that the Phantom Manor is excellent there and in fact, there's a fan page dedicated to it, Ravenswood Manor. At age 3, Gothamist's favorite ride at Disney World was "it's a small world", testing parental patience by insisting to go on it 7 times in one day. Gizmodo, take a ride on "it's a small world" for Gothamist to vicariously walk down memory lane. more ›