Despite outgoing Mayor Bloomberg’s best efforts, the Midtown East re-zoning will not be passed this year; City Council members Dan Garodnick and Christine Quinn released a statement last night declaring their opposition to the proposed changes, on the basis that “a good idea alone is not enough to justify action today.”
After Garodnick and Quinn torpedoed the re-zoning, the Bloomberg administration withdrew the effort from consideration for a vote. A delay is not tantamount to denial, and it seems that de Blasio is intent on passing the re-zoning as well – though the reasoning for the hold-up is murky, at best.
Despite the assertion that the proposal has not been thought through, it seems other factors may be at play. For one, Bloomberg never endorsed Speaker Quinn when she ran for mayor this past year; the dismissal of her ambitions, and her subsequent failed campaign, could possibly be catalysts for opposition to Bloomberg’s last major city planning effort.
Whatever the cause behind Speaker Quinn’s abrupt about-face, Garodnick had at least voiced consistent concern over the re-zoning’s impact on his district.
Ultimately, the cause of temporary death seems to be the collision of differing political ambitions, and lingering resentment. The re-zoning will likely go forward; de Blasio released a statement of support, declaring that “Midtown East should be re-zoned to allow the creation of a world-class 21st-century commercial district,” but with the caveat that “it needs to be done right.”
Essentially, de Blasio will re-launch the same proposal, but with minor modifications – and this way, the new Mayor will receive credit for the action rather than Bloomberg. This satisfies Quinn’s interests as well; apparently proving the Mayor is a lame duck is more important than modernizing an increasingly ancient business district that functions as the financial heart of Manhattan.
It is unfortunate that personal feuds have a tendency to overwhelm common sense – and consideration of constituents – when it comes to politics in New York City. But the end result around Grand Central should not change; the re-zoning will be delayed, not denied. Though the chances of SOM’s floating halo being built are still nearly zero.
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