Sunday, November 9, 2008

Expensive eminent domain-worthy project

911 BACKUP PLAN TAKE$ A MAJOR HIT
By DAVID SEIFMAN, NY Post

After years of delay, plans to build a backup center to handle 911 calls in case of a terrorist attack or other calamity are being revised again after the cost came in at an astonishing $957 million - 40 percent above the last estimate, The Post has learned.

The development is the latest in a series of problems to plague the critical project, which was conceived of more than a decade ago and which took on added urgency after 9/11.

City officials say the previous $690 million estimate was an inexact "placeholder" inserted in budget documents until final designs were finished.

It's not clear when the redesign - which scales back the project - will be completed or what the final price tag will be.

Another complicating factor is that the city has yet to gain title to the land in the Pelham Bay section of The Bronx, where officials hope to build the sophisticated facility, which would share the workload with the current 911 center at Metrotech in Brooklyn.

Sources said that the Joseph Simone Development Cos., which owns the parcel off the Hutchinson River Parkway, has rejected a $28 million offer from the city as inadequate and that a court fight appears likely.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

....Another financial fiasco from the same folks who would have visited the Olympics on our fair city.

But do shed at least one crocodile tear for the dashed schemes of Bloomberg's buddies who were quietly buying up plots that would be scheduled for athlete housing and new venues.

The original estimate for this traveling bankruptcy show crept up like a brimming toilet bowl 'till it reached "12-15 Billion", ahh,,,,make that 25-30 once the 'boys" (Mafia Construction Co Inc) take their fair share.

Bloombag..sorry, berg, has not been a terrible Mayor but his priorities and perspective are pure Republican. It is time to go.

Lino

georgetheatheist said...

"...his priorities and perspective are pure Republican."

Really Lino? Tell that to Semenerio and McLaughlin.

Anonymous said...

Let's put this on the Willet Point land then since it is eminent domain worthy.

Anonymous said...

" ... the Joseph Simone Development Cos., which owns the parcel off the Hutchinson River Parkway, has rejected a $28 million offer from the city as inadequate ... "

My oh my! Now here's a case of private property needed for a PUBLIC purpose and the Commissar cannot match the asking price.

But, in the case of PRIVATE property to be seized for PRIVATE profit, the Commissar wants the property now and won't even listen to an asking price.

Perhaps there's no asking price because the PRIVATE OWNERS are NOT asking to sell, but the Commissar is DEMANDING the land be seized on behalf of his very wealthy profitable developer cronies.

So, the Commissar will destroy anyone who gets in the way of his planned kickbacks.

Perhaps that's also because the terrorists and the 911 staffers won't be giving kickbacks.

Priorities. Priorities. Money first. Public safety? Not on the list!

Anonymous said...

"Bloombag..sorry, berg, has not been a terrible Mayor but his priorities and perspective are pure Republican. It is time to go.

Lino"

The Commissar has never been a Republican except for the convenience of avoiding a primary.

It IS time for him to go, but BECAUSE he's been a total failure as an officeholder.

Anonymous said...

"Bloombag..sorry, berg, has not been a terrible Mayor but his priorities and perspective are pure Republican. It is time to go."

Well, if not for his vrulent streak of nanny state liberalism, you'd be correct. More like a Rockefeller Republican

Anonymous said...

During and emergency like 911 radio systems are far more important then comforting and babysitting frantic housewives.

The people on the front line must come first