RPA Comes Out Against Sports and Convention Center

NEW YORK CITY-In its final report in a year-long study of revitalization efforts for the West Side, the nonprofit Regional Plan Association concludes that plans for the New York Sports and Convention Center—a home for the New York Jets–might not be the best use of the available space in the area. The RPA calls for the replacement of the proposed Jets stadium with a mixed-use alternative that will provide better waterfront access and increase the likelihood of development in the rest of the district. The board members themselves had disagreements regarding the controversial stadium project during the time it studied the massive Hudson Yards initiative.

“The Jets and the city have done an admirable job of trying to tame the stadium, but at the end of the day its construction still conflicts with the long-term goals for the West Side,” says RPA board member Barbara Joelson Fife, a former deputy mayor. “Access to the waterfront is too important to the future of the city and the Far West Side to construct such an immense barrier in a prime location.”

Last month, current Deputy Mayor Daniel Doctoroff touted the benefits of the controversial New York Sports and Convention Center, which is expected to cost upward of $1 billion, saying it plays a “critical role in accelerating development in the area.” He also noted that it is “absolutely essential” for the city to win the bid for the 2012 Olympics.