Minding the stores
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is leaning toward increasing the proposed retail space at the cash-strapped Fulton Transit Center and nixing the expensive oculus, an M.T.A. source tells UnderCover.
Officials still don’t know where they will get money to build the transit center’s building, but another source, Lee Sander, the authority’s C.E.O., said it was “highly unlikely” that the agency would scrap the above ground structure because it couldn’t find the dough. Sander tells us the issue should be resolved “shortly,” but the M.T.A. has been singing that tune for quite some time now.
Sander did not go into any more specifics, but the other M.T.A. source said removing the oculus will not only reduce construction costs, but will also make the building less expensive to heat and cool. The favored plan is to keep the exterior the same minus the oculus and remove the overlook feel of the center by increasing the floor area on two levels. He likened expanding the floor area to increasing the size of a donut by making the hole smaller. The new area would provide more retail space, a desire of residents and local business groups, without increasing construction costs much, the source said. He said the design changes needed would be minimal.
With more retail space, maybe the M.T.A. could invite back some of the businesses they kicked out ostensibly to start building a center.
How’s Barack doing?
Hizzoner Ed Koch believes history will vindicate President Bush on the war in Iraq and he does not regret endorsing the president’s reelection four years ago, but he nonetheless is supporting Barack Obama for president this time.
Koch, who outlined his views in his e-mail column, wrote that he didn’t think John Kerry was supportive enough of Israel in 2004, but he does not have that concern about Obama, whom he thinks will make the country safer by protecting things like civil liberties, social security and gay rights.
He said he knows and respects John McCain and Joe Biden, but he worries at the prospect of “plucky” Sarah Palin becoming president because she “fails miserably with respect to her views on the domestic issues that are so important to the people of the U.S., and to me.”
Koch could mean votes for Obama in battleground Florida, particularly if he hits the Century Village circuit which is teeming with transplanted New Yorkers who voted for the former mayor.
Divided Union
In what sounded like an endorsement from the land of split personalities, Citizens Union last week gave its nod to State Sen. Marty Connor saying “because of his knowledge and length of service, [he] would undeniably be in a stronger and more experienced position to effectively advance critical reforms than his challenger, should the Democrats become the majority party in the Senate.”
But the goo-goo also said that “of significant concern though … is also Connor’s 30-year hold on the seat and his connection to the entrenched interests of Albany that have made the state Legislature resistant to change and more responsive to the narrow interests than the public interest. Connor’s effectiveness has been rightly questioned by voters….”
So it seems his experience was a plus, unless of course it was a minus. Right before saying Connor was “undeniably” in a better position to advance reform, Citizens Union in the preceding sentence left open the possibility that Connor’s opponent, Daniel Squadron, is in an equally strong position.
It looks like we’ll soon find out since Squadron won Tuesday. Confused support apparently does not help.
Heir apparent?
Dozens of elected leaders and power brokers showed up to Assembly Speaker Shelly Silver’s victory party Tuesday, but only three people spoke to the crowd: Silver, Gov. David Paterson and Ed Silver, the speaker’s son.
Is the 39-year-old finance vice president of a wholesale company being groomed to someday take over his father’s seat? The younger Silver, who lives in the district, said through his father’s campaign spokesperson that he was merely there as a “proud son.”
The elder Silver said his son has “no intention of going into public service except as a volunteer.”
