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Mayor: If State Won't Back Off Brooklyn Bridge Park, City Will
By
John Del Signore
Published Mar 26, 2009
Modified Mar 26, 2009
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By
John Del Signore
Published Mar 26, 2009
Modified Mar 26, 2009
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Mayor Bloomberg sent a strong message to state officials negotiating with the city on a deal that would end state involvement in Governors Island and Brooklyn Bridge Park. Speaking to reporters about the $350 million Brooklyn Bridge Park project yesterday, Bloomberg said, "If they are not willing to turn it over to us, we'll turn it over to them. But then we're not going to put city money in, obviously."
Speaking off the record, city officials have accused the state of dragging its feet on allocating funding for the two parks; Governors Island may not open this summer, and the sluggish pace of the 85-acre Brooklyn Bridge Park development is partly due to the state's inability to cough up some $85 million that was promised. Under Bloomberg's plan, some of the city money set aside for the beleaguered Javits Center expansion would be poured into a $120 million funding gap at the Brooklyn Bridge Park.
The mayor says he's encouraged by the negotiations so far, but were he to make good on his threat, the state would be left to finish the Brooklyn project. According to the Daily News, city officials expect to finish two-thirds of the park by 2012, with the Pier 6 section on track to open later this year.
Tagged
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brooklyn bridge park
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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