Testimony of Richard T. Anderson, President, New York Building Congress, before Committee on Economic Development,

Mr. Chairman and members of the Committee on Economic Development, the New York Building Congress is pleased to endorse and support Forest City Ratner Company’s Atlantic Yards/Brooklyn Nets project. There are few projects which hold greater promise for New York City’s future. This proposal should be carried forward with strong support of government, business and community leaders.
What is most impressive about this proposal is its comprehensive and balanced plan for a state-of-the-art arena together with housing, commercial office space, retail space and publicly-accessible open space. The site at Flatbush at Atlantic Avenues in Brooklyn is one of the most accessible in the City of New York. To do anything less than what is being proposed would not be in the City’s best interests.
As a coalition of the design, construction and real estate industry, the Building Congress is especially concerned with the overall economy of the New York City. By combining so many integrated components within one well-designed project, Forest City Ratner will add considerably to the Borough of Brooklyn and the entire City. This will include $2.5 billion in total development activity, 15,000 union construction jobs, 10,000 permanent jobs, and 4,500 units of badly-needed housing. All of this will generate considerable tax benefits for the City together with an enormous civic boost in an area of New York that has not had comparable investment for many decades.
The Building Congress also is impressed with Forest City Ratner’s commitment to affordable housing, to public participation in the planning and review process, and other steps to make this project a hallmark for the right way to do development. As we see it, the end result truly will be unique and far-reaching.
The Building Congress and its 1,500 individual members urge that every effort be made to support and further this important initiative. All New Yorkers have a stake in this important project. We urge the Committee on Economic Development and the entire City Council to respond enthusiastically and affirmatively and to bring this project to reality as soon as possible.

The New York Building Congress thanks the Committee on Economic Development for the opportunity to testify on how the proposed New York Sports and Convention Center will impact the City of New York. This exceptionally important proposal deserves the widest possible public discussion in the context of the comprehensive planning process for the entire far West Midtown area of Manhattan.
From the standpoint of members of the Building Congress, who constitute New York’s largest and most diverse coalition of design, construction and real estate organizations, the Sports and Convention Center and its surrounding area are critically situated for the City’s long-range future. The ambitious planning and development process for the area is timely and well conceived. Working together, the City and State are thinking big and have put together a bold vision for long-term development of the far West Side.
The Building Congress has endorsed the overall Hudson Yards master plan and will support the proposed rezoning of the area later this year. Individual elements of the plan, including expansion of the Jacob Javits Convention Center and extension of the Number 7 subway line are keys to successful implementation. Without doubt, the longest-lasting investment will be the proposed New York Sports and Convention Center. It will be a tremendous boon to the City, both from the standpoint of public revenue and economic activity. It will enhance the economy, create jobs, and contribute parkland and other public amenities of lasting value to New York.
The Building Congress encourages the Council to consider what an incredible public resource the new Sports and Convention Center will be. Beyond creating 18,000 construction jobs from 2005 to 2009 and 6,900 permanent jobs thereafter, the new center will be an enormous economic engine for the New York region. It will solidify Manhattan’s unique one-of-a-kind role in the global economy. In our judgment, no other facility in any other location can come close to this proposed new showcase for the best New York has to offer; from conventions and trade shows to major national and international events.
Moreover, the Sports and Convention Center represents a substantial environmental upgrade compared with alternative facilities elsewhere in the tri-state region. Consider how much better environmentally it will be for sports and other events to be held at the new center rather than at the Meadowlands or other locations where virtually everyone arrives by car. Other environmentally-friendly design features of the facility will set a high standard for public buildings. Would we rather have the New York Jets and other organizations continue to hold their events at facilities that waste significant natural resources?
Mr. Chairman, the Building Congress commends the City and State of New York for launching the Hudson Yards planning process and simultaneously initiating work on several of the key components. This City/State partnership is far-reaching and deserves the full support of all New Yorkers.
As with any major proposal, the New York Sports and Convention Center requires the most thoughtful and thorough public review and evaluation. Our membership is involved with many of these steps, so we know firsthand how critically important they are. We are confident that this new Center will be one of the most important and long-lasting public/private investments that New York can possibly make.