It's the zombie project! The MTA announced that nearly half a billion in federal stimulus money will be used to help pay for the long awaited, thought-to-be-deceased Fulton Street Transit Center. MTA CEO and Executive Director Elliot Sander told state lawmakers, "People have been worried that we were going to leave a hole in the ground or construct a simple subway entrance instead of the iconic structure that the community was expecting. I am here to tell you that this is not the case."
The project previously caused a lot excitement for its linking of disparate subway lines (the 2, 3, 4, 5, A, C, E, J, M, Z, R and W) and its soaring glass dome. It is now expected to cost around $1.4 billion, which is, the NY Times reports, "nearly double what was estimated when it was conceived in the wake of the terror attack of Sept. 11, 2001." However, it's unclear whether the glass dome, the oculus, will be included. The oculus, which was initially proposed to soar 50 feet but most recently suggested to go just 20 feet, will cost an additional $40 million.
Assembly Leader Sheldon Silver is all for getting the work started (especially since it's in his district): "Hundreds of businesses have been put out of business, sites have been cleared, and it's ready to go. ll it needs is that funding," adding, "It does at this point appear to meet the criteria that Congress has put out, and from an economic stimulus standpoint, in terms of job creation, it certainly seems appropriate.
