Meeting News - June 16, 2008 - (Page 46) Destination Insider: New York City NYC Leaders Pledge Support for Javits Center Promises may be too little, too late as expansion delays, brain drain take toll By Corrie Dosh The once-promising, $1.8-billion expansion of the Jacob K. Javits Center has become a cruel joke. For over a decade, the city has promised exposition and convention planners that additional space was coming around the corner, but delay after delay has frus- Is it possible to actually look forward to three all-day, round-the-clock meetings? Yes. Whet her you’re brainstorming the next level in your corporate evolution or planning your next steps on the road to success, Doral Arrowwood offers the amenities, facilities and people to make hard work almost something to look forward to. Our award-winning property is less than an hour from Manhattan, making it the perfect destination for your next meeting. To find out more, go to DoralArrowwood.com or call us toll-free at 1-866-428-9739. 975 Anderson Hill Road • Rye Brook, NY • 10573 trated stakeholders, many of whom have taken their business to other cities and convention centers. New York’s main economic development agency, the Empire State Development Corp., has been blamed for the collapse of Javits’ plans, thanks to turf battles, poor management, and the downfall of former Governor Eliot Spitzer. The state budgets for economic development, transportation, and other infrastructure projects are “grossly underfunded,” according to a New York Times report, thanks to falling tax revenues and other economic pressures. When Spitzer resigned from his post in disgrace, his replacement, David Paterson, pledged to support the Javits but scaled back Spitzer’s proposal by 450,000 sf and roughly $300 million. Javits is the 18th largest convention center in North America, but it is still not large enough to host the 60 biggest shows held throughout the country each year, and the center is completely booked by smaller events year-round. When the center opened in 1986, it was smaller than originally planned, with 760,000 sf of exhibit space, little parking, no public transportation, and only 30,000 sf of meeting space. Although the expansion plan is now virtually dead in the water, city and state leaders continue to pledge their support for the project. New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, speaking at a recent Crain’s business breakfast, said she sees the Javits Center expansion and renovation as “critically important” to the development of Manhattan’s West Side. “We can’t forget the Javits Center,” Quinn said. “It’s incredibly important to the economic future of this city. As we head into a recession, we should be reminded of how important convention jobs can be to the city of New York—and those conventions lock their dates a decade in advance.” The extensive delays are having major consequences for Javits’ redevelopment. Renowned architect Richard Rogers recently left the architectural team heading up the project after it was scaled back to a renovation job by city leaders. His estimated $20 million in fees this year became unsustainable after the expansion plans were scrapped. Avi Schick, the state’s leading development official who oversaw the expansion plans, said late last month that he’ll leave his post at the Empire State Development Corp. in September for the private sector. The agency’s downstate chairman, Patrick Foye, left in March. With high-level leaders abandoning ship, the future of the Javits Center is uncertain at best. www.meetingnews.com 46 MeetingNews June 16, 2008 http://DoralArrowwood.com http://DoralArrowwood.com http://www.meetingnews.com
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