Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
R.I.P. West Stadium
By
Jen Chung
Published Jun 7, 2005
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Jun 7, 2005
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Okay, so a epitaph might be slightly premature for the Jets' West Side Stadium dreams, but with State Assembly Leader Sheldon Silver putting the kibosh on developing the West Side while his Lower Manhattan molts, it's pretty much certain that the Jets will stay in New Jersey, leaving NYC football-less. And it's unlikely that NYC's 2012 Olympic bid will continue to be a serious contender, since the bid has been contingent on the stadium. State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno was against the stadium as well, but he would have supported the plan if the IOC had awarded NYC the Olympics, which is pure politician magic: "If this happens, then we can do this...if if if if." So, where does this leave New Yorkers? Many are relieved (no more so than the Dolans and possibly Bruce Ratner), while some are upset (billionaire Woody Johnson as well as union workers).
Sports writer Mike Lupica thinks that Sheldon Silver gave the speech of his life yesterday, in outlining why he thinks the West Side Stadium is a bad idea. Perhaps, but Gothamist isn't totally convinced that building a West Side Stadium would mean moving the financial capital of NYC from Lower Manhattan to the West Side. What's interesting is that the Post calls the loss "humiliating" for Mayor Bloomberg; while it was basically the linchpin of his plans for the future of New York, Gothamist thinks the NY Times' news analysis is a bit more enlightening, noting that city-state politics were also at play in dooming the project. Newsday speculates that while Bloomberg has lost this project, his opponents have been "robbed" of a topic to clobber him with.
Tagged
Assembly Leader Sheldon Silver
bad idea
bloomberg
Bruce Ratner
football
gothamist
jets
Joseph Bruno
lower manhattan
manhattan
mayor
mayor bloomberg
mike lupica
new jersey
new york
new yorkers
News: NYC
ny times
nyc
olympics
Politics
Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno
sheldon silver
sports
state assembly
state senate
State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno
the future
west side
west side stadium
woody johnson
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Plainclothes ICE agent with long gun looked like mass shooter, Mayor Mamdani says
The mayor said his administration would review ICE and NYPD actions surrounding Thursday’s shooting.
By
Michael Sol Warren
Published Oct 11, 2026 at 1:49 p.m. ET
NJ Transit riders face 5 weeks of schedule disruptions starting Sunday
NJ Transit and Amtrak riders should prepare for cancellations, schedule changes and longer commutes as work continues on the new Portal North Bridge.
By
Giulia Heyward
News
NJ Transit riders face 5 weeks of schedule disruptions starting Sunday
NJ Transit and Amtrak riders should prepare for cancellations, schedule changes and longer commutes as work continues on the new Portal North Bridge.
By
Giulia Heyward
For a Democrat in a traditionally red NJ district, how to woo Republican voters
By
Mike Hayes
2 pedestrians killed in Bronx crash after driver ran red light, police say
By
Brittany Kriegstein
and
Ann Givens
Rain could put a damper on NYC’s long weekend. Here’s when it will clear.
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .