One of the first projects he mentioned was the creation of a DNA lab at Bellevue Hospital for the NYPD. "We'll do everything we can to get this laboratory built," he promised. Also in support of public safety, he will have cameras installed at five more housing developments. He said the poor should have the same security afforded the wealthy in private housing.
On the subject of housing the mayor said, "I've got a deal that I want to make." Waving a copy of Reducing the Cost of New Housing Construction in New York City by New York University's Center for Urban Policy, he said he wanted to follow their recommendation and eliminate crime from the construction process. His deal is if he can get reforms passed on this issue, the city could add $1.2 billion to its spending.
He said the city has created 65,000 new or rehabilitated houses and is currently scheduled to spend $1.5 billion. He noted at least that much had already been spent. Giuliani called for the passage of reforms for licensing in construction, rezoning commercial property to residential, reforming the building code, reforming the Department of Buildings, reducing red tape and getting organized. He expressed regret for not reforming the DOB sooner.
He added that creating one permit for all elements of a project would simplify the process. He also wants a new civilian component to the Fire Department to oversee reviews, saying they would do it "more rigorously and honestly." While he added the industry won't like his proposals, he noted the DA's office reports 20% is added to the cost of construction because of dishonesty.
He also noted housing needs an anchor program. In this vein of total community revival, he pointed to plans for the Coney Island and Staten Island baseball stadiums. "People love to ridicule me about baseball fields, saying I love to build them all over--actually I do." He compared the creation of the stadiums to Disney's investment in the New Amsterdam Theater as an anchor for 42nd Street and the new Times Square.
In addition to the Coney Island stadium he proposes a Brooklyn Dodgers Hall of Fame, an expansion of the aquarium and a resort hotel. He says concerts at the stadium and a film festival there this summer will also bring revenue to the city. The Staten Island stadium is part of a larger St. George area revitalization. The theater nearby and the ferry terminal will be refurbished. This stadium will open, as will the Brooklyn stadium, for games in June.
He also renewed his support for a West Side domed stadium in Manhattan. Not only would it attract the Olympics in 2012, according to the mayor, it would enable expansion of convention facilities, ending the city's loss of millions in revenue to other cities.
The Brooklyn Bridge Park project recently received $80 million from the state, Giuliani noted, and will get $65 million from the city. The Bronx River project will continue with $11 million in city funding. Queens will see a new Flushing Skating Rink and Pool Complex, and the mayor plans to press for rezoning of industrial areas for residential in areas such as Long Island City.
He called for a special committee to ensure the Guggenheim Museum project takes place Downtown. He noted the Fulton Fish Market would relocate to Hunts Point and that the expansion of the Public Library's central circulating space on 41st Street would be a "real addition to the skyline." He called both "wonderful" projects for the city.
He expressed support for $50 to $60 million for BAM's planned cultural center in the heart of Brooklyn. He compared the jobs created in the arts and entertainment industry with investments made in the New York Stock Exchange. He noted Lincoln Center needs a "massive infusion" of $1.5 billion in financing for updated state-of-the-art facilities for the performing arts, including a small opera house for the New York City Opera and small Metropolitan Opera productions.
In addition to these massive projects, he mentioned matching dollars for city school athletic fields; seven are now being redone. He hopes all 52 will be completed in the next few years. More new schools are planned, as is the sale of the Board of Education's facility at 110 Livingston St., to purchase a smaller, "dignified" property. Plans are also in the works to refurbish NYPD precincts.
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