I assure you, today's outcome would have been dramatically different had we not received those signed documents, |
I encouraged both of them to redouble their efforts to bring these talks to a conclusion, ... They both indicated to us their sincere willingness to spend as much time as necessary to finalize these issues. |
I have to emphasize - and this is important - that they have not been in default of any obligation that they have to the authority from either a financial or construction perspective. Until that changes, nothing further is required by the authority. You can't punish someone in anticipation of them doing something inappropriate. |
I would say that the Giants understand, without any ambiguity, what the expectation of the governor is as far as the content of the documents we need to move into the master planning process, |
If someone construes that clause to be a loophole, I think it's strictly an interpretation that was not the intent of the authority. |
My expectation is that I want to see actual leases. If they have to be redacted somewhat to ensure privilege, OK. But I want to see lease terms -- square footages and rent levels -- to ensure consistency with the original plan. We want to feel assured that there is a real likelihood that they will be capable of securing the construction loans they need to complete the project. |
Our main goal is to understand if, in fact, they still can maintain the construction schedule, and if they can keep to the mix of uses that already is in the documents they've signed. There's no flexibility on that front. |
The Giants' willingness to compromise on that issue clearly was a psychologically important breakthrough in the talks. |
The league is very enthused about the prospect of having a flagship facility in the New York metropolitan area, and they're liable to be focused on helping assist this project with a retractable roof. |
The likelihood of the new building being known as Giants Stadium is zero, ... The reality is that in today's marketplace, people sell naming rights to buildings. ... For this deal to be suitable to us, it must be a genuine 50-50 partnership. |
The ratio of retail and entertainment will remain consistent with what was contemplated in the developer's agreement. For instance, if there won't be Formula One racing, there will be something else entertainment-oriented. |
They came completely prepared to answer all of our questions. They will be able to obtain the necessary financing to complete the project. |
We are sensitive to the fact that there is a pattern of difficulty here that needs to be attended to, which is why we need a face-to-face discussion. |
We will be seeking assurances that they will be able to complete their construction pursuant to their projected timeline. |
We'll probably look first in southern Bergen County for a suitable site for the Jets. We'll talk to the mayors first and see what sort of land mass is available. I'm sure some communities would be quite enthused about that idea. |