Madison Square Garden formally unveiled its spectacular three-year, $1 billion renovation Thursday.
The governor hailed it as “the economic engine for New York’s future.”
Too bad the city’s politicians are busy plotting how to throw a monkey wrench into the works. Because as things stand, the World’s Most Famous Arena may in just a few years be forced to pull up stakes and vacate its current site — on land it owns — so that a new Penn Station can be built.
Back in July, the City Council voted to limit the extension of MSG’s required permit for only another decade, instead of issuing a permanent one, as has been done with other venues.
The move was clearly intended to buy time for what they really want: to push the Garden out.
That’s also the position of mayoral front-runner Bill de Blasio. Indeed, so much does de Blasio hate the Garden’s owner, Cablevision boss James Dolan, he demanded the NBA find some other venue for its 2015 All-Star Game because of Dolan’s alleged “anti-worker policies.” (The NBA, to its credit, decided otherwise.)
This state-of-the-art facility, it’s worth noting, was renovated totally with private funds; no taxpayer money was involved. It’s a commitment to the city that underscores just how much of a boon Madison Square Garden is to the local economy.
But it could all go the way of the wrecking ball if the anti-business mentality represented by Bill de Blasio prevails and the Garden ends up finding itself handed an eviction notice from its own property.
Asked for his view of the Garden’s 10-year deadline, Gov. Cuomo remarked: “I think that’s something we’ll think about in Year Nine.”
Let’s just say a business that employs thousands of New Yorkers, pays millions in taxes, brings in tens of thousands of visitors — and has just invested a billion dollars in the city — deserves better.