New York Governor Andrew Cuomo proposes closing the Javits Center and opening a bigger, convention center to spur economic development. Other proposals included new power transmission lines and Las Vegas-style casinos.
In his State of the State address yesterday, Andrew Cuomo, Governer of New York, proposed building a convention center in Queens to replace the existing Javits Center. Cuomo would open the Javits Center site to bid for developers and create a development plan for museums, hotels, and housing on the existing site.
"A new 3.8-million-square-foot exhibition hall and hotel at the Aqueduct racetrack in Jamaica, Queens, would free up 18 windswept acres owned by the state overlooking the Hudson River in Midtown Manhattan, a site occupied since the 1980s by the much- maligned Jacob K. Javits Convention Center," writes Charles Bagli in The New York Times.
"...Still, the question is whether the Queens project makes sense, experts said. The convention business is highly competitive, and attendance is falling around the country. Most convention centers are run by public authorities at a deficit."
Brad Aaron at StreetsBlog offers his first impressions of the convention center plan: "While it's disappointing to see Cuomo tout a glitzy mega-project as economic development while ignoring bread-and-butter issues like subway and bus service (also noted by Gelinas), Streetsblog readers have pointed out one potential upside: Redeveloping the Aqueduct site in Ozone Park could spur reactivation of the LIRR's defunct Rockaway Branch."
Thanks to Elaine Mahoney
FULL STORY: First Impressions of the Cuomo Convention Center Plan

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie