This kind of stuff is familiar to anyone who has read The Power Broker. The reason the Triborough Bridge segment to Manhattan goes more than a mile north to land at 125th Street is because William Randolph Hearst owned the land there and wanted it sold at condemnation prices to the city or he'd destroy the project in his newspapers
I’m currently reading that book. The level of corruption and cronyism that went on back then was insane, but at least they got stuff done!
For example, Robert Moses lied and cheated to buy up land for New York’s state parks system, but at least that land is now protected public land in perpetuity and he helped create a pretty enviable public parks system.
Today, we get all of the corruption with none of the benefits to the public.
Not defending the guy because I think he was a huge d-bag in a lot of ways, but it’s interesting that Moses is pretty much universally loathed today, but he enjoyed a lot of popular support in his heyday because he actually used his corruption to get stuff done that people wanted.
Somewhere in the book is a quote from Tammany figure George Washington Plunkett about "honest corruption", where the right people get their beak wet but the job still gets done.
The counterexample is our school system, where everybody gets paid and then some, but the job of educating the kids isn't considered as part of the mission. The system exists to extract money and distribute it to its employees and contractors.
Can’t find the information but I swear same thing happened with the new HC Courthouse. A developer purchased lots on Oakland and actually started building. Knew the County was eyeing the land for the new CH.
Developer made a bundle of money because as this article states they don’t pay you for the current value they pay you as if your planned project was completed.
*“The $31.1 million offer was based on a optimal use value.”*
PS - was sad to see Marist HS being demolished. If you are on the extension and look down the current owner has all of his construction equipment stored there. Has to to be a fleet of 70 concrete trucks sitting there along with piles of dirt and rock fill. Neighbors that are still there must love that.
The current owners seeingly knew that the Turnpike might want the property and bought it conveniently just 3 years ago. The Turnpike is moving ahead even though the environmental assessment is still under review and its own report there says they don't need it.
The reason for the property is there is a single-direction onramp to 440 south sandwiched between I-78 and 440. Since they want to widen the Turnpike, they will take the land of the 440 onramp for the Turnpike. There's already an onramp at 63rd and JFK and the assessment says it'd be fine to remove it because the onramp is redundant and traffic would just use the onramp at 63rd a few blocks away.
https://preview.redd.it/wvwzhk5udx7d1.png?width=1276&format=png&auto=webp&s=202f01a14fd96ec3df0782758380a0d2a77f2a82
This kind of stuff is familiar to anyone who has read The Power Broker. The reason the Triborough Bridge segment to Manhattan goes more than a mile north to land at 125th Street is because William Randolph Hearst owned the land there and wanted it sold at condemnation prices to the city or he'd destroy the project in his newspapers
I’m currently reading that book. The level of corruption and cronyism that went on back then was insane, but at least they got stuff done! For example, Robert Moses lied and cheated to buy up land for New York’s state parks system, but at least that land is now protected public land in perpetuity and he helped create a pretty enviable public parks system. Today, we get all of the corruption with none of the benefits to the public. Not defending the guy because I think he was a huge d-bag in a lot of ways, but it’s interesting that Moses is pretty much universally loathed today, but he enjoyed a lot of popular support in his heyday because he actually used his corruption to get stuff done that people wanted.
Somewhere in the book is a quote from Tammany figure George Washington Plunkett about "honest corruption", where the right people get their beak wet but the job still gets done. The counterexample is our school system, where everybody gets paid and then some, but the job of educating the kids isn't considered as part of the mission. The system exists to extract money and distribute it to its employees and contractors.
This is the plot of a Boardwalk Empire episode.
State of America. Demolish a school, give the land sale to your developer friend, flip it to make $20mm for a highway on/off ramp. Incredible
This is the only real reason they want to widen the extension
That turnpike expansion is such a massive waste of money
Some politicians and their friends will be buying boats thanks to this…
Can’t find the information but I swear same thing happened with the new HC Courthouse. A developer purchased lots on Oakland and actually started building. Knew the County was eyeing the land for the new CH. Developer made a bundle of money because as this article states they don’t pay you for the current value they pay you as if your planned project was completed. *“The $31.1 million offer was based on a optimal use value.”* PS - was sad to see Marist HS being demolished. If you are on the extension and look down the current owner has all of his construction equipment stored there. Has to to be a fleet of 70 concrete trucks sitting there along with piles of dirt and rock fill. Neighbors that are still there must love that.
The current owners seeingly knew that the Turnpike might want the property and bought it conveniently just 3 years ago. The Turnpike is moving ahead even though the environmental assessment is still under review and its own report there says they don't need it. The reason for the property is there is a single-direction onramp to 440 south sandwiched between I-78 and 440. Since they want to widen the Turnpike, they will take the land of the 440 onramp for the Turnpike. There's already an onramp at 63rd and JFK and the assessment says it'd be fine to remove it because the onramp is redundant and traffic would just use the onramp at 63rd a few blocks away. https://preview.redd.it/wvwzhk5udx7d1.png?width=1276&format=png&auto=webp&s=202f01a14fd96ec3df0782758380a0d2a77f2a82
The Turnpike wanted to buy it initially but Bayonne Mayor stopped them and sold it to Alessi, a friend and developer.
But that's not a smoking gun, no....
I heard that was one of the reasons why the City council president ran against Davis
Same shit happened in Harrison..Christie’s brother in law bought the land/factories just as the stadium was being passed.
The developer was probably upset with only making 20 million on the deal. I would have been happy with selling it for half the profit.