No Silver Lining For Queens’ Olympic Dreams

State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver’s decision not to endorse the West Side Stadium will have repercussions from Flushing Meadows-Corona Park to the Champs Elysees.
With Silver’s declaration that the stadium was not in the best interests of the city — and more specifically in his district in downtown Manhattan — the hopes for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games coming to New York are all but dead.
That means a loss of not only a number of substantial improvements to Flushing Meadows, it also means a loss of major transit projects that will affect Queens commuters.
The biggest example of this is the extension of the 7-train to the West Side — a $2 billion deal that is also all but extinct now.
“That had to happen for the stadium, but it may never happen now,” Councilmember David Weprin said.
The New York Jets and NYC2012 founder Dan Doctoroff held out some hope for an alternative plan to save the stadium.Weprin said he had spoken to Jets’ representatives Monday and they had not “totally thrown in the towel” [on the West Side].
“They are looking at financing elsewhere,” he said, “and possibly bypassing the state portion.”
But even Mayor Michael Bloomberg said “rejection of the stadium will seriously damage our chances at winning the 2012 Games.”
Also on Monday, the IOC Evaluation Committee released its preliminary findings on their visits to the five candidate cities — including London, Madrid, Moscow and Paris.
New York received praise for its plan, but criticism for not having approved the stadium as yet. While Doctoroff spoke positively of the review, reiterating that it “verified the strength of New York’s bid,” he added he was disappointed with Silver’s decision.
Paris received the most glowing reviews, solidifying its status as the frontrunner.
Other New Yorkers said the move enabled Queens to try and take center stage.
“The death of the controversial West Side stadium deal should actually help, not hurt, our bid, if we move quickly to the consensus alternative — Willets Point,” said Rep. Anthony Weiner, a candidate for mayor. “Now is not the time to pick up our ball and go home. We can have the Olympics and the right stadium in the right location if we are ready to do what’s right for New York City.”
Representatives from the Jets, however, maintained that they had no interest in building a stadium in Queens.
Weprin also reminded New Yorkers they could say goodbye to the 2010 Super Bowl with the stadium’s demise.
“I think it’s very shortsighted of Speaker Silver,” Weprin said. “If his goal was to help downtown, I don’t think he accomplished that. I just don’t see his rationale.”
editrich@queenscourier.com