Third Up In Jets Struggle

There’s yet another competitor for the New York City railyards, the site where Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the New York Jets want to build a stadium.

Energy company TransGas offered $700 million for the West Side Railyards – $100 million more than fellow competitor Cablevision, which owns Madison Square Garden. In comparison, the Jets’ offer is $100 million.

Bloomberg wants to build an estimated $1.2 billion stadium on a platform above the railyards that would be used as the 2012 Olympic Stadium, if the city is granted the Games. The Jets would then take over.

Cablevision has waged an expensive public campaign against the stadium, which the company fears would compete with the Garden. Recently, it lobbed a competitive offer to the Metropolitan Transit Authority, owner of the railyards. According to the New York Post, “some involved with the battle” suggest that former Sen. Alfonse D’Amato – a key adviser to MSG and friend of the MTA chairman – helped orchestrate the $600 million counteroffer.

TransGas upped the ante in an attempt to get the city’s attention for a power plant. Company president Adam Victor said TransGas has been looking to build the plant in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, for more than two years.

Meanwhile, Bloomberg was busy entertaining the 13 delegates of the International Olympic Committee, who were in town to consider NYC as a candidate for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. They had already been wined and dined by the King of Spain and Queen of England, and are to visit Paris and Moscow next month.

While in New York, the IOC got to check out Madison Square Garden and the proposed stadium site.

According to some editorials, Bloomberg has an uphill battle with the people of New York City, the majority of whom reportedly are opposed to the stadium. The mayor contends the facility is the cornerstone to NYC landing the Games.