The 80s-era convention center on the far west side of Manhattan would be turned into a mixed-use development and a Malaysian gambling company would instead redevelop the Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, Queens.
"New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg called the Aqueduct plan 'a great idea.'"
"Steve Malanga, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a nonprofit research group that favors lower taxes and reduced government spending, questioned the wisdom of a building a convention center at Aqueduct.
'There's no incremental business to be gained, even by the top players in the business,' he said in an e-mail, noting occupancy at McCormick Place is stuck at around 55 percent. 'Additionally, the lure of New York is of course the attractions of Manhattan, but I question whether putting a big facility in Queens would be effective in luring major conventions.'"
Thanks to Michael Snidal
FULL STORY: Cuomo Calls for Biggest Convention Center in U.S. at New York’s Aqueduct
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