Bloomberg Grabbing for Governors Island, Brooklyn Bridge Park

Mayor Bloomberg is seeking to grab control of Governors Island and Brooklyn Bridge Park, pushing the Paterson administration aside in an attempt to spur progress on the two projects, both of which would create new real estate development and public parkland.

As part of the mayor’s plan, his administration would take money it invested Read More

Avi Schick Leaves ESDC

Avi Schick, the prosecutor-turned-development official who has served as downstate president of the Empire State Development Corporation for the past two years, will leave his job this week. Mr. Schick emailed a letter on Monday evening to colleagues announcing his departure (a copy of the letter is below).

Mr. Schick’s departure comes more than seven Read More

About That Second Columbia Blight Study…

It seems the second blight study commissioned for Columbia University’s planned West Harlem expansion did not come at extra cost to the state, as the Empire State Development Corporation’s spokesman confirmed today that Columbia picked up the report’s $217,000 tab.

The state’s major development agency, ESDC, yesterday declared the 17-acre expansion footprint as blighted, Read More

It's On! State Starts Eminent Domain For Columbia

The state’s main development agency, the Empire State Development Corporation, kicked off the public process for eminent domain for Columbia University’s 17-acre West Harlem expansion today, starting a final chapter in the approvals for the contentious $7 billion initiative.

In announcing the process, ESDC President Avi Schick unveiled two unexpected nuggets of news surrounding the Read More

Meet Avi Schick, New York’s New Steamroller

Avi Schick’s foray into the world of economic development has been swift. Less than two years ago, Mr. Schick, 41, was a deputy in the state attorney general’s office, the lead prosecutor on Eliot Spitzer’s suit against former New York Stock Exchange Chairman Dick Grasso.

A longtime attorney, today he sits as president and Read More