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August 18, 2006
MSG V on hold
That plan to squeeze both a new Madison Square Garden and a new Penn Station entrance inside a landmarked post office building is apparently on hold, as state assembly speaker Sheldon Silver and presumptive governor-elect Eliot Spitzer have put the entire project on hold for now. For how long, exactly? Until "unanswered questions are resolved," said a Spitzer spokesperson - which almost certainly translates to "until we're in the governor's mansion, fool."
The question at that point will be whether the Democratic duo tries to put the kibosh on the whole train station project, which has broad support, or the move-MSG-and-build-office-towers-in-its-place addendum, which, not so much. Silver, you'll recall, is the man who killed a proposed West Side Jets stadium because he feared it would draw development away from his lower Manhattan district - though he then signed off on tax breaks to promote midtown development, so who knows what his true motivations are. At this rate, we likely won't find out until January at the earliest.
Im happy that the knicks and rangers aren't getting a new msg. They don't need one. As for a silver hes a knucklehead . New york should try to get a nfl team to ny. Thats what the ny politicans should be trying to do
Posted by dan on August 19, 2006 07:40 PM
I think a quick comparison of the West Side Jets Stadium and new Yankee Stadium politics shows that you need an interested, monied party in opposition to have a chance on the merits.
The new Penn Station is seen as the first big piece of civic architecture in 40 years in NYC and a way of righting the wrong of destroying the original Penn Station. Wealthy old New Yorkers (the Jackie Kennedy set) are not going to sacrifice the compromise the dream of a new Moynihan/Penn Station for marginally better gate revenues for Cablevision.
This isn't going to be a fight between neighborhoods and park advocates and money, it's going to be money vs. money. I think MSG gets developed where it is, not across the street.
Posted by joejoejoe on August 20, 2006 01:23 PM
Moving MSG to the new train station would be repeating exactly what happened with MSG IV at Penn in the first place. Yes we need a wonderful entrance for Penn Station, but moving MSG is not the answer. A solution does need to be found.
Posted by Bertell Ollman on August 21, 2006 02:14 AM
Again leaves me mystified at how everything gets a second look to make sure the project going forward is the project that's best for the public. But Yankee Stadium�Yankee Stadium, for G-d's sake� will soon turn to dust because no one stopped to think twice.
Spitzer and Silver are on the same page? All the more reason to vote for Tom Suozzi.
Posted by MIB on August 21, 2006 02:46 PM
It's time for silver to leave office now. He's a dictator he could care less about ny and the people. He's a crazy old geezer.And that's the same thing Ithink about joe bruno. You believe some of the bills he wants to pass through . He would defend a criminal if he would make money. That's someone I want in office. Give me a break
Posted by dan on August 21, 2006 05:46 PM