New Haven Independent

Posted by: Our Town | August 10, 2007 10:06 AM

First it's Johnny vs. DOT (Union Station) then it's Johnny vs. Mona (Cancer Center)...now it's Johnny vs. Jimmy (Gateway). If nothing else it's fun to watch the battles.

Can't we all just get along!

Posted by: charlie | August 10, 2007 10:24 AM

The DPW hasn't shown "flexibility" in "accommodating" retail. Designing that building without retail was never an option in most people's minds.

Is the DPW really that clueless that they would site a major structure in a major downtown area like this without any pedestrian amenities?

Posted by: :-) | August 10, 2007 11:01 AM

Johnny does usually win these battles (prettier Q-bridge, kept a state prison out of the armory, new bank, state pays more for schools, rail to port, etc.) if for no other reasons than he knows more about how government works having been in it so long (and exactly how to frustrate others to get what he wants for the city) and in the end seems to have just a little bit more fight and patience than his opponents.

How to not win (state) friends but still influence people. Wonder how the other guys running for Mayor would handle such things.

Wait, are the other guys still running for Mayor? Isn't that election like a month away?

Posted by: Our Town | August 10, 2007 1:37 PM

My apologies, It's Johnny vs. Marna, not Mona. What was I thinking?

Posted by: Esbe | August 10, 2007 3:27 PM

I don't like hows the DPW acts like they are doing us a huge favor by building this in New Haven, taking the land off of our private tax rolls. This is a great location from the point of view of the college, but it is not so clearly great for the city overall. The condescending tone is really offensive, and clearly designed to score political points off of the Governor's most recent political opponent rather then help move the project forward.

As Charlie says, it was not a favor to us to put some retail activity on the ground floor, it is a minimum requirement for a downtown building of this size. And why do New Haven taxpayers have to pick up the $5 million they are arguing about anyway? Isn't this a state college, and so shouldn't the state pay all the costs?

Posted by: Taxed To Death | August 10, 2007 3:44 PM

There he goes again - everything's controversial, nothing goes according to plan, nothing's within budget and all of it is somebody else's fault. All The State gets from DeStefano is grief, bitching and blame - not enough money, not enough education dollars, too much dependence on property tax (lol-yeah right) etc. etc.

Couple of notes:
1. City of New Haven gets more money from the state each year as a general rule - thanks to the reps and senators.

2. More education dollars came this year, not because of Mayor Johnny -- but because of the governor, state reps and senators.

3. As for Charlie blaming the DPW - you should have read the whole letter. It is a litany of dates, times and places that detail how poorly the city executes projects.

4. As for how other mayoral candidates would do working with the state -- they may do well. It doesn't always have to be a fight.

Posted by: Taxed To Death | August 10, 2007 10:26 PM

ESBE: Correction...I don't think it was the state's idea to move Gateway. If I remember right, moving Gateway was the mayor's idea as part of the justification to tear down the coliseum we haven't finished paying for. I have the same question about the tunnel -- except not why should the city pay vs. the state. DeStefano and Kelly Murphy came up with that $5 million plan. I've asked the question before but never got an answer: Where is the city going to get the $5 million and why do we need the freaking tunnel anyway? I don't think Kelly knows these answers, she just likes writing nasty, disrespectful letters.