[NYguy]

https://www.wnyc.org/story/amazon-op...r-state-board/

Amazon Opponent Passed Over for State Board

Feb 24, 2019
by Kate Hinds and Jim O'Grady

State Senator Michael Gianaris, a fierce critic of Amazon, won't be sitting on the obscure but periodically powerful New York State Public Authorities Control Board after all. The prospect of Gianaris's board membership, which could've given him a veto over the Amazon deal, helped spook the company into backing out of from becoming one of the city's major employers. Amazon supporter Governor Andrew Cuomo could have prevented Gianaris from taking the position but, somewhat inexplicably, never acted.

The Public Authorities Control Board assumed an outsized role in the Amazon drama because the deal included a $500 million grant to build the company's Long Island City campus. The board would have voted on that part of the $3 billion subsidy package.

In a letter to Cuomo, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, who had nominated Gianaris to the board earlier this month, blamed the governor's "inaction" for her withdrawal of Gianaris's name.

"Through comments you have made to others in public meetings and interviews," she wrote, "it has become clear that you do not intend to confirm this appointment to the PACB...To ensure the Senate Majority is properly represented, I hereby formally recommend Senator Leroy Comrie as the Senate’s representative on the Public Authorities Control Board."

Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi's reaction? "Great, but it's a day late and $27 billion short." His implication was that the Amazon deal might've been saved had Stewart-Cousins not put Gianaris's name forward, or withdrawn it before the company bolted, taking with it a projected $27 billion in city and state tax revenues over 25 years. Azzopardi added that the governor would review Comrie's nomination. Comrie did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

While Cuomo never moved one way or the other on the Gianaris nomination, his budget director, Robert Mujica, said his boss would have eventually rejected it.

"Of course the Governor would never accept a Senate nomination of an opponent to the project and the Governor told that to Amazon directly," he wrote in an open letter slamming Democratic opposition to Amazon.

One project down, another to target...



https://nypost.com/2019/02/24/cuomo-...ng-opposition/

Cuomo-backed $1B arena in Belmont Park facing opposition

By Rich Calder and Carl Campanile
February 24, 2019

Another megaproject being pushed by Gov. Cuomo is on track to get Amazoned.

A $1 billion arena and entertainment venue on state-owned property near Belmont Park is facing opposition from local leaders, and will have to go before the Public Authorities Control Board.

Amazon abandoned plans for a second headquarters in Long Island City, Queens, after an opponent of the project, Sen. Michael Gianaris, was nominated to the board, effectively giving him veto power over the deal.

After Amazon pulled out, Gianaris’ name was withdrawn and the person finally put on the PACB is Queens Sen. Leroy Comrie, whose district takes in part of Belmont Park. The Belmont project would include 435,000 square feet of retail space, restaurants, a 250-room hotel and 19,000-seat arena for the NHL’s Islanders. But some local officials aren’t on board.

“I’m opposed to the project right now,” said state Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages, citing traffic congestion and lack of regular train service to the area.

Cuomo’s camp dismissed the comparison to the Amazon fiasco, and said there is support for the deal.

“We . . . are proud of our . . . community engagement efforts,” said Empire State Development spokesman Jack Sterne.