ACORN in Hot Water
The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), one of the two organizations opposing the development of Willets Point - is in hot water for its questionable activities in registering voters.
The New York Post tells the story of a 7 year old girl in Connecticut who was registered to vote through a voter registration drive. From the Post:
Voter registration fraud complaints like these continue to mount for the group, already under scrutiny in 11 states where hundreds, if not thousands, of new registrations are being questioned.
ACORN volunteers have been found to register dead people and even put members of the Dallas Cowboys on Nevada lists.
Practices like these are pretty despicable, and this is the organization that is doing much of the legwork in the opposition of the Willets Point plan for redevelopment. With enemies like these, the Mayor’s plan just might turn out alright.
NYCEDC to Focus on Environmental Cleanup
Stephen Sterling is reporting that the New York City Economic Development Corporation will focus heavily on the environmental mess in Willets Point and the need to clean it up at the City Council hearings on Friday, October 17. From Sterling:
The Economic Development Corporation is expected to lean heavily on the need for a multi-million-dollar environmental cleanup at Willets Point when they pitch their plan to the legislative body this Friday, Oct. 17.
He also points out that the EDC will not shy away from the issue of the economic crisis.
The project certainly must push ahead, even in tough times.
Anti-Bloomberg Activists on a Bus
If you happen to have been anywhere near Willets Point or some of the other major development/rezoning areas, there was a bus touring these areas protesting pretty much every major project Mayor Bloomberg supports.
Yawn.
Update: Here’s a photo, presumably taken on 126th Street next to Citi Field. Can’t see inside the bus, but the trailer certainly doesn’t look very crowded. Imagine how much nicer this photo would look if it were taken in the surroundings on 126th Street which you can see on the right side of this site.
A Look at the Petco Park Battle, Part I
This is the first post in a series that will take a look around the country to see what development efforts have taken place in other cities with new ballparks. I’ll do my best to find out what exactly was done in each instance and how things are working out in each of these cities today.
Petco Park and its Surroundings
The first stadium I want to examine is Petco Park, the still-relatively-new home of the San Diego Padres. In this particular instance, the main difference with the current situation in Queens is that the Padres needed a new stadium as well as a new location. Unlike the Mets, they did not build the new park on land they already occupied.
Some of the early history of Petco Park and the redevelopment of the East Village neighborhood of San Diego can be found at signonsandiego.com. I’ll denote in boldface some of the similarities to Willets Point.
City of San Diego officials entertained a Padres overture to be a partner [in building the new stadium]. The clincher was the opportunity for a ballpark to serve as a catalyst for downtown redevelopment.
Although it was not his first choice, Moores agreed to a site along L Street in the blighted East Village, a historic warehouse and industrial district…
That November, nearly 60 percent of San Diego voters approved Proposition C, giving the city and the Padres permission to redevelop 26 blocks in the East Village with hotels, apartments, condominiums, retail space and offices, with a ballpark at the center.
Sounds pretty similar so far. I’ll continue a series about Petco Park, its surroundings, and the before and after effects of the development that went hand-in-hand with the construction of the new baseball stadium.
Monserrate Undecided on Term Limits
Councilman Hiram Monserrate, the main opponent of the plan to develop Willets Point, is undecided on term limits, according to the New York Observer.
The thing is, Monserrate won an uncontested primary for the Democratic nomination, which means he’s 99.9% sure of winning that seat on November 4.
If term limits are extended in the city, Monserrate could stick around as a Councilman if he’s willing to give up his State Senate race pending his re-election in 2009. Monserrate would be around the Council to continue his opposition to the project, though the main vote will take place before he has to make a decision.
If Monserrate is still in the Council, though, that means Michael Bloomberg also has a realistic shot at re-election, allowing him much more time to work on Willets Point.
City Council Sets Tentative Hearing Dates
From the Iron Triangle Tracker, here are the tentative hearings set by the City Council on Willets Point. To say the very least, these events are of the utmost importance.
- Friday, October 17, 9:30 a.m.
Zoning and Franchises Sub-Committee
Chair: Tony Avella (D-Bayside)
City Council Chambers, 250 Broadway, 14th Floor
Update: According to Steve at Iron Triangle Tracker, the two previously scheduled hearings will be combined at the above time and location.
Welcome to Develop Willets Point
