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Update April 20, 2015- This is already over budget and it construction has not started. $2 Million was not enough to “design” the bridge, and they BPCA is providing $750,000 more, for a total of $2.75 Million.
Designing this bridge takes one architect and a computer. Why is it costing $3 Million? Is the “design firm” a big donor to the governor?.
October 23, 2014- By Steven E. Greer
With a new City Comptroller watching over BPCA and City funds, the “Speaker Silver” West Thames Bridge has not been discussed by the BPCA for almost a year. Yesterday, the board met to approve the 2015 budget, and the topic came up.
Gwen Dawson made some vague references to the bridge, but the bottom line is that there has been no progress other than to waste $2.5 Million for some architects to draw up fancy pictures. It was unclear whether the rest of the $28 Million was approved to be spent in the 2015 budget.
December 3, 2013- By Steven E. Greer
The West Thames bridge was a topic of discussion at the Battery Park City subcommittee of the CB1 tonight. The team assembled by State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and New York City to attempt to build the bridge, and win the support from the BPCA to co-fund the bridge, gave the first update since June of this year.
Matt Best, listed on his LinkedIn profile as “Program Manager at NYC Mayor’s Office”, once again began the presentation as he did in June. When asked by Anthony Notaro of the CB1 whether the BPCA or city would be responsible for budget overruns (which the BPCA in June refused to agree to cover), Mr. Best acknowledged that the issue was still unresolved. Mr. Best then assured the audience that the BPCA had been involved in the details of the plans presented that evening, and that the BPCA had included in the 2014 budget the $7 Million in funds required to build the bridge.
BatteryPark.TV previously reported in detail the F2014 BPCA budget, and no mention of funding for the West Thames proposed bridge was mentioned. BP.TV is awaiting the actual budget requested by FOIL.
When Mr. Best sat down, BP.TV asked him to clarify his comment. He said, “It’s not in the F2014 budget. They promised it for the F2015 budget.”. The 2015 budget will be discussed for another 11 months.
Given the fact that the two key sticking points to the West Thames Bridge have, in fact, not been resolved whatsoever, the entire presentation by the city was an attempt to influence the community into thinking that the BPCA had signed off. Mr. Best and his team will quite possibly no longer be with the city 30-days from now as Bill de Blasio is sworn in as Mayor.
The BPCA proposed F2014 budget
BPCA shows no enthusiasm for West Thames bridge
Was a proper RFP process used for the West Thames bridge?
CB1′s Jeff Galloway meets in secret with city official about West Thames Bridge
City wants BPCA to pay for West Thames bridge cost overruns
Tell us what you think about the proposed $30 Million West Thames bridge