New Year Brings Development Hearings Galore

Perhaps legislators all received new gavels for the holidays, as there seems to be a whole bunch of hearings in the next few days relevant to economic development.

A list for those that like sitting in the uncomfortable chairs of City Hall and elsewhere:

Jan. 3 – Assemblyman Richard Brodsky holds a follow-up hearing on his West Side hearing just before Christmas. Listed for further discussion in the hearing notice: The No. 7 line extension, the Javits Center expansion, the West Side rail yards, and more.

Jan. 7 – Council Member David Weprin and others are considering a resolution in the City Council’s Finance Committee, calling on the city to end a tax break crafted for Madison Square Garden

Jan. 7 to 8 – The city has three public comment meetings scheduled on its Coney Island plans. The previous meeting, held in a relatively small room in a hospital, was canceled after it was flooded by hundreds of critics thanks to state Senator Carl Kruger, who bussed them in.

Jan. 10 – Council Member Alan Gerson has scheduled a hearing on deconstruction of the Deutsche Bank building, which still stands in the same condition as when it caught fire in August. The Times today wrote a curiously thorough preview of the hearing, which seems as though it will focus generally on the building and related issues.