David Schwartz of Willets Point United Inc. opposes the development plan of Sterling Equities (owned by the owners of the New York Mets) and Related Companies, during a rally held in Willets Point across the street from Citi Field on July 8, 2013.
The development plan of Sterling/Related adds a 1.4 million square foot mall to be constructed on public parkland, and expands the total size of the Willets Point development from 62 acres as approved during 2008 to 108.9 acres as intended now. The Bloomberg administration intends to gift 23 acres of Willets Point property to Sterling/Related for the price of $1 (one dollar), despite the city having spent $200+ million to acquire it, and despite decision-makers being told that the city would recoup its costs via the sale of the property; intends to give a grant of taxpayer funds totaling $99 million to Sterling/Related to pay costs that they were supposed to pay; delays the project’s housing component for 15 years, and makes the housing contingent upon new highway ramps that no one is obligated to construct.
