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2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: DING DING DING! Why would Christie try to TORPEDO the billion $ Fort Lee redevelopment [View all]DirkGently
(12,151 posts)70. Daily Kos has been all over this angle recently.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/01/17/1270589/-PA-Chairman-Samson-had-a-keen-interest-in-the-Fort-Lee-Bridge-Traffic-This-may-be-Why
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/01/18/1270740/-Christie-GWB-and-NJ-pay-to-play
Smoking Gun For Bridgegate? Might Rest With Losing Bidder In Fort Lee's $1B Hudson Lights Development
by Laura Vecsey, lauravecsey.com -- Jan 16, 2014
[...]
It begs the question: Which firms were the losers in this coveted and hard-won development Hudson Lights project? One of the firms that bid on developing the entire 16-acre parcel, which was split into two phases of development, was Silverstein Properties in conjunction with Taubman Centers. Silverstein is the World Trade Center developer. It was Silverstein's bid to develop the entire parcel, including the Tucker piece. But it appears that Tucker wanted to keep its piece and develop it themselves.
[...]
Larry Silverstein was a long-term client of David Samson.
Mayor Sokolich was called "an idiot" by one of Christie's key staffers, now fired. Mayor Sokolich has had some fun calling himself "the idiot" who has spearheaded Fort Lee's progressive moves, including this landmark development deal. The level of animosity in this "war" goes far deeper than anything having to do with a failure by Sokolich to endorse Chris Christie's re-election. That alone just is not a plausible reason for the timing and nature of the lane-closure retribution.
(snip)
Take away that "easy access" to the GW bridge, and you may very well take away the "easy financing" -- financing that the [...] Tucker Development Corporation, was still in the process of securing.
by Laura Vecsey, lauravecsey.com -- Jan 16, 2014
[...]
It begs the question: Which firms were the losers in this coveted and hard-won development Hudson Lights project? One of the firms that bid on developing the entire 16-acre parcel, which was split into two phases of development, was Silverstein Properties in conjunction with Taubman Centers. Silverstein is the World Trade Center developer. It was Silverstein's bid to develop the entire parcel, including the Tucker piece. But it appears that Tucker wanted to keep its piece and develop it themselves.
[...]
Larry Silverstein was a long-term client of David Samson.
Mayor Sokolich was called "an idiot" by one of Christie's key staffers, now fired. Mayor Sokolich has had some fun calling himself "the idiot" who has spearheaded Fort Lee's progressive moves, including this landmark development deal. The level of animosity in this "war" goes far deeper than anything having to do with a failure by Sokolich to endorse Chris Christie's re-election. That alone just is not a plausible reason for the timing and nature of the lane-closure retribution.
(snip)
Take away that "easy access" to the GW bridge, and you may very well take away the "easy financing" -- financing that the [...] Tucker Development Corporation, was still in the process of securing.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/01/18/1270740/-Christie-GWB-and-NJ-pay-to-play
I believe that the GWB scandal has opened a window that allows us to view a small part of one tentacle of the development octopus that is smothering NJ. In this diary, Teach53 tells us the window has now increased to allow us to see more of the tentacle:
Mayor of Hoboken, Dawn Zimmer claims that the Christie administration told her that Hoboken would get its Sandy funds if she "moved forward with the Rockefeller [development] project".
The connection between the two? The Christie appointed Port Authority Chairman Samsons law firm, Wolff & Samson, represented a developer looking to develop the Fort Lee parcel at the foot of the GWB and the Hoboken parcel. Mayor Zimmer and Mayor Sokolich of Fort Lee refused to play and did not award the contracts to Wolff & Samsons clients. Both got a kick in the butt via the Christie administration and its appointees. Fort Lee got the development-threatening traffic jam. Hoboken received a fraction of the requested money to rebuild a town that was 80% covered by the Hudson River during Sandy.
Mayor of Hoboken, Dawn Zimmer claims that the Christie administration told her that Hoboken would get its Sandy funds if she "moved forward with the Rockefeller [development] project".
The connection between the two? The Christie appointed Port Authority Chairman Samsons law firm, Wolff & Samson, represented a developer looking to develop the Fort Lee parcel at the foot of the GWB and the Hoboken parcel. Mayor Zimmer and Mayor Sokolich of Fort Lee refused to play and did not award the contracts to Wolff & Samsons clients. Both got a kick in the butt via the Christie administration and its appointees. Fort Lee got the development-threatening traffic jam. Hoboken received a fraction of the requested money to rebuild a town that was 80% covered by the Hudson River during Sandy.
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DING DING DING! Why would Christie try to TORPEDO the billion $ Fort Lee redevelopment [View all]
pnwmom
Jan 2014
OP
Yeah, I couldn't figure out at first why the Port Authority study came back only giving
pnwmom
Jan 2014
#8
Every state which relies on construction and where there is big money,
Baitball Blogger
Jan 2014
#11
I have a former in-law who used to work in construction in NJ -- so I heard some stories. n/t
pnwmom
Jan 2014
#14
I have always found that behavior off-putting. Certainly nothing I'd vote for.
calimary
Jan 2014
#84
You may be onto something. He's a bully, but he's their bully, so it's okay. Well, he's not mine!
pnwmom
Jan 2014
#85
I've read a couple of articles recently that have changed the word bully to thug or thuggish. The
okaawhatever
Jan 2014
#86
He is also a bully, as in his interactions with teachers and others who question him.
JDPriestly
Jan 2014
#102
Briget Kelly, of course! And Amy Adams does "earnest" well. She could be Mayor Zimmer. nt
valerief
Jan 2014
#46
Well, American Hustle made the players way younger than the actual Abscam players were.
valerief
Jan 2014
#49
The cancelled Tunnel project was the BIGGEST PROJECT in the tri-state area
DontTreadOnMe
Jan 2014
#34
Holy mackerel! Love this post. Every cloud has a Silverstein lining, it appears. nt
valerief
Jan 2014
#36
This explains why Baroni et al were so pissed off when the cones were pulled up on day 5.
SunSeeker
Jan 2014
#58
Ain't it a shame they don't have a Republican on the NY side to cover for them?
Spitfire of ATJ
Jan 2014
#66
He shows up in 9/11 conspiracy theories for his remark about "pulling" Building 7
starroute
Jan 2014
#94
Whoa. Especially the second post, and the 2007 article it links to on “pay to play.” THANKS!
pnwmom
Jan 2014
#75
I'm K&Ring the dwindling handful of posts in this forum that actually go after REPUBLICANS
Number23
Jan 2014
#76
Laura Vecsey from Daily Kos: "Smoking Gun for Bridgegate might rest w/Losing Bidders"
nashville_brook
Jan 2014
#87
But how can this info possibly be an adequate counter-argument to the GOP's claim of...
nikto
Jan 2014
#104
So pleased to see this is still pretty high up among the posts on this forum!
calimary
Feb 2014
#112