Stringer: Don't Rush To Sell Off Lower Manhattan Buildings
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Manhattan borough president Scott Stringer says he is opposed to the sale of three lower Manhattan sites currently owned by New York City.
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Mayor Michael Bloomberg outlined the plan in his State of the City address on Thursday.
"This year we'll put three city-owned office buildings in Lower Manhattan up for sale we expect will bring more than $100 million next year for our capital budget, $100 million in private sector tax revenue and cost savings over the next 20 years by converting public buildings to private buildings and it will bring new jobs and housing for the downtown community," Bloomberg said.
But Stringer calls the buildings on Broadway, Chambers and Reade streets prime city assets that should be considered for uses as schools or affordable housing and says selling them is a hasty and imprudent one-shot deal.
"While $100 million may seem tempting during hard economic times, losing a total of 669,000 square feet in downtown Manhattan will have repercussions on our lower Manhattan economy for decades to come," he said.
In response, the mayor's office will only say they look forward to working with their partners in government, including those who have an adversary role.
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