January 26, 2004
Letters to the Editor
The New York Times
229 West
43rd Street
New York, NY 10036
To the Editor:
"A Stadium Too Far" (Editorial , January 26) hit the nail on the head. It was
time the City's misguided, expensive plan for the West Side of Manhattan was
critically examined by the press. Manhattan Community Board No. 4 shares many of
the concerns voiced by the Times, including the wasteful expenditure of tax
funds.
A stadium is the wrong economic development tool for Manhattan's West
Side, and a waste of a prime development site.
The rail yards should be used for new high density office and/or residential
buildings, hotels, community uses, public open space and a southward expansion
of the Javits Convention Center. Mass transit could be provided by a subway spur
running West to Eleventh Avenue from the regional transportation hub at Penn
Station. The spur could be linked to an extension of the No. 7 subway line as
future development allows.
Sincerely,
Walter Mankoff
Chair