"We're not being too ambitious. We plan for an animated waterfront," L. Jay Cross, president of the New York Jets, LLC, said previously. "We'll take our inspiration from the river and set a high standard. It will be multi-layered and exoskeletal.

One key factor causing concern is that the stadium would bring with it traffic nightmares. In a few surveys, 70% of current season ticket holders reported they would take mass transit if the Jets played in Manhattan, a figure comparable to Madison Square Garden attendance. The other 30% represent approximately 7,000 cars and that many go through Manhattan to get to the Meadowlands now, Cross pointed out. "There's no site like that in the world," he said. "We have nine modes of transportation to the site."

Financing for the center, which could total more than $1 billion, will come from public and private sources. The public aspect includes constructing the deck platform over the yards and the expansion of the #7 subway line. Private investors in the center site itself would include the New York Jets, NYC 2012 and the National Football League, among others.