Brian has always been reasonable and has a reputation for seeking consensus on difficult issues. |
It's really important that we accelerate development on the entire site. Many people say the Freedom Tower is not a viable economic proposition even with Liberty Bonds and insurance money. It stands in the way of the development of the balance of the site, which would otherwise be quite feasible. |
Public opinion polls have shown that people support the mayor taking an aggressive role downtown and that they want to see the development of the site accelerated. |
The site is an embarrassment, first and foremost, to all of us that felt confident it would move forward more quickly than it has. |
They are the first major commercial tenant to come into the World Trade Center site. So it's a very important commitment. And it is highly valued by the city and the state. We hope it's a magnet. |
We all feel state economic development policy has not had the benefit [of input] from the private sector. We think the business community can do a better job of helping guide public investment. |
We have every indication that the city is prepared to look closely at that. |
We've already got reports that sales were down this last weekend over last year. I'm sure there's been an impact on tourism as well. |