QUESTION
How can the council and state legislators assist EDC with lease responsibilities, compelling port authority transparency?
1:35:34
·
3 min
Mikelle Adgate, representing the New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC), acknowledges the complexity of providing specific support methods for EDC's lease responsibilities and the need for further discussion on enhancing port authority transparency.
- Adgate appreciates the inquiry but notes the need for detailed discussion later.
- The emphasis is on the unique situation with the port authority leasing city land and dictating rules.
- Adgate mentions the historical context of the lease agreements and their limitations in addressing redevelopment comprehensively.
- The response suggests an openness to continued conversations on how EDC can fulfill its lease responsibilities more effectively.
Brooks Powers
1:35:34
Like, what are some of the ways that we from the council for perspective, or the state legislators are able to help support EDC and fulfilling your responsibilities in the lease.
1:35:48
So, like, for example, in intro 134, talking about how to compel the port authority.
1:35:55
Right?
1:35:56
We're trying to compel them to come here and the council, like, what are some of the avenues that we should be exploring to take in order to make the port authority more transparent as it pertains to redevelopment because I think it's beyond crazy that they're like leasing city land that they don't own, but they're dictating the rules of engaged with us.
1:36:23
And if you imagine being a renter and living in someone's homes, there's still certain guidelines you're you're still required said here even as a a renter.
1:36:33
Right?
1:36:34
And so the port authority is operate on both sides right now.
1:36:39
And I think that holy unacceptable on their behalf.
1:36:43
They are the only state agency that I know of that does this.
1:36:48
And quite honestly, it's only under this currently ownership because as I said in the past and as former executive director, Chris Ward has said, there's no reason why the can't come here and answer the questions of the council.
1:37:01
I'm not sure what they're scared of or what they're to hide in terms of the redevelopment, why they don't see fit to come before the council to be transparent in a space where they're not curating what information is going out and and how we're able to receive that information.
1:37:20
And so I'm curious to hear, do you, like, foresee any ways that the account or the state legislators are able to support EDC to fulfill its responsibilities in the lease.
Mikelle Adgate
1:37:35
Yeah.
1:37:35
I I greatly appreciate the the question council member.
1:37:38
I think that we would sort of have to come back to you on on thoughts about specifics.
1:37:45
I I would say, your question is is a bit grander than we would be able to answer right now, we can only speak to the relationship that the current administration has sort of inherited, and we've talked at length about the things that we've been doing, you know, under President Kimbell's leadership to continue to sort of improve in our role as as a lease administrator.
1:38:13
I'll I'll just I know I've said this a couple of times, but to to reiterate would just ask you to keep in mind that the 2004 lease did not fully contemplate a massive redevelopment.
1:38:25
And I think you yourself have mentioned some of the sort of challenges with the 2021 lease extension, and we're not able to speak to how all of those decisions were made for that as well.
1:38:37
What we can say is that we're open to continued conversation where we can talk more about ways that we can be continue to be supportive in our role as a, you know, nonprofit corporation that's dedicated to economic development in the city.
Brooks Powers
1:38:58
No.
1:38:58
Thank you for that.
1:39:01
And I look forward to hearing, you know, from EDC on feedback on what that could look like.