Under pressure from other city officials, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg gave up the free suites provided to the city to the new Yankees and Mets ballparks, opting instead for cash from the teams.
Under pressure from other city officials, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg gave up the free suites provided to the city to the new Yankees and Mets ballparks, opting instead for cash from the teams.
It is not unusual for a municipality to retain control of a suite after contributing to a new sports facility. But in the case of Bloomberg and the city, the negotiations over the suite were surprisingly intense, as the city made additional concessions to the Yankees in terms of control of a parking lot and billboards to gain control of the 12-person suite. (The negotiations with the Mets were not nearly as intense, apparently.)
But the public funding of the new ballparks has been a flashpoint in New York City politics, and the notion of the city receiving free use of suites after spending more than a billion dollars in financing and direct funding of infrastructure improvements was repugnant to many citizens — and a handy hook for those opposing the city involvement.
The criticism of tjhe Bloomberg administration is expected to continue through Jan. 15, when the city’s Industrial Development Agency — the body providing the original financing — will hold a hearing on the issuance of $400 million in tax-exempt bonds so the Yankees and Mets can finish construction of the new ballparks, slated to open April 2009.
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