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Silver's Bye-Bye Pataki Present: Blocking Moynihan Station
By
Jen Chung
Published Oct 19, 2006
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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By
Jen Chung
Published Oct 19, 2006
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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Assembly Leader Sheldon Silver did the expected thing at a state Public Authorities Control Board meeting to discuss the Moynihan Station: He refused to support it, ensuring that the city is at least another year away from starting a new transportation hub for NJ Transit and LIRR commuters. Well, we guess Governor Pataki's decision to delay a vote didn't work out very well, but it's not like Silver would suddenly be convinced in three weeks.
Since the Moynihan Station plan, a non-September 11 pet project of Pataki who had hoped it could be approved before he leaves office, was not approved, Silver didn't get any Pataki or Republican support for moving an expanded Magison Square Garden plan forward. The Post has details on how Silver's been angry and Pataki's upset, with Silver calling Pataki's Moynihan Station plan "illegally presented and incomplete" while Pataki accused Silver of "[having] single-handedly prevented the most important civic and transportation project in the nation today from proceeding."
It's unclear what happens to $130 million in federal funds that were allocated for the project. But this much is certain: The Pataki administration will try to terminate deals with Vornado and Related Companies, the two big developers it had been working with on the plan. Although Moynihan Station has been in planning for years and years, in May, Vornado and Related presented an even more ambitious plan (called "Plan B") that involved moving Madison Square Garden west to the Farley Post Office. While many people were impressed by the vision of Plan B, many agreed it would take a long time for it to be approved. Now there is second guessing about whether having Plan B sabotaged getting the original Moynihan Station approved or whether Pataki should have noted where Plan B would fit into his plans. One thing we hope when Eliot Spitzer is most likely made governor: More cooperation between the governor's office and the state assembly.
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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