Mayor Bloomberg might think there’s no traffic on tiny Vanderbilt Avenue, but the operator of one of the block’s biggest buildings disagrees, and thinks it should stay open to cars.
Despite being only five blocks long, Vanderbilt is crucial to the area for everything from garbage pick-up to emergency-response routes, said Anthony Bergamo, manager of Bank of America Plaza at 335 Madison that stretches to Vanderbilt.
That building — which takes up the whole block between 43rd and 44th streets — has a loading dock and exits on the street, which City Hall is considering closing to vehicular traffic.
“It’s a working block, not a pedestrian plaza,” said Bergamo, a top executive to the building’s powerful owner, Howard Milstein.
“Its a major route for police, fire and ambulances. And every time there’s a police incident on Vanderbilt, how do you get there?
“Assuming there is a terror attack and the block is closed off, how do we get access for emergency responders?” said Bergamo, the founder of the Federal Law Enforcement Foundation.
Bergamo said he also feared that losing little perks like easy pick-up/drop off for deliveries and the cab stand would cause building property values to plummet.
“It becomes a serious issue,” he said. “How do we get deliveries there?”
He said no one in the city reached out to him to discuss closing off the street that abuts the building he manages.
Bergamo first learned of the plan by reading Monday’s Post.
“We respect the mayor’s attempt to bring change to the city, but there needs to be balance,” he said.
Speaking to reporters yesterday, Bloomberg said the city’s plans would examine ways to bring in deliveries and ensure that emergency vehicles have access.
“It will improve property values dramatically in that neighborhood,” Hizzoner said.
“Times Square and Herald Square showed that to be the case.”
The plans do not call for closing the cross streets that go through Vanderbilt, Bloomberg said.
Many parts of New York could use pedestrian plazas, he said.
“People want to be able to find stores and not get hit by a car and be able to go and disperse,” he said. “Our roads are not here for automobiles. Our roads are here for people to get around.”
Additional reporting by David Seifman