Mayor Bloomberg launched a blistering attack against the Port Authority’s bungling at Ground Zero yesterday, saying the agency has “an obligation to the nation” to rebuild the site on time and calling repeated delays “intolerable.”
“This cannot continue. Last year, when the Port announced its new plan that would fix the problems at the site and lead to progress, it asked us all to hold it accountable. We are, and the results are intolerable,” Bloomberg fumed.
Bloomberg called for an independent oversight agency to be created by “de-linking” the Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center from any relationship with the Port Authority or the Lower Manhattan Development Corp.
Meanwhile, developer Larry Silverstein yesterday rebuffed Gov. Paterson’s call to resume talks with the Port Authority over delays at the site and over his demands for financial backing from the agency to build his office towers.
Instead of talks, Silverstein gave the Port Authority notice that he’s taking his dispute to a panel of arbitrators.