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City to MSG: "Get out."

seawolf17 Jul 25 2013 09:36 AM

http://deadspin.com/madison-square-gard ... -907643716 Well, this is interesting. The demolition of the gorgeous old Penn Station in 1963 to make way for the construction of Madison Square Garden remains one of the country's great civic tragedies. Now, New York is finally trying to rectify its mistakes: the city council has given MSG 10 years to vacate the premises. The Madison Square Garden Company's 50-year permit to operate the arena expired earlier this year, but it has been lobbying hard for a renewal in perpetuity, sending the likes of Walt Frazier, Earl Monroe, and Spike Lee to argue the case for staying. But the city has granted only a 10-year permit, after which the Garden will be knocked down for the redevelopment of Penn Station. In the labyrinthine process of city politics, few things have ever been so agreed-upon. The local community board voted 36-0. A zoning subcommitte voted 7-0. The Committee on Land Use voted 18-1. And yesterday the City Council, the last stop to making it official, voted 47-1 for the eviction heads-up.

batmagadanleadoff Jul 25 2013 09:44 AM Re: City to MSG: "Get out."

And here's where the Knicks should move to:

RealityChuck Jul 25 2013 10:15 AM Re: City to MSG: "Get out."

If MSG is allowed to stay, wanna bet that in five years they'll demand a new stadium or else they'll leave?

Nymr83 Jul 25 2013 10:20 AM Re: City to MSG: "Get out."

I dont really care about a stupid train station, removing the Garden would be the real tragedy. Of course, the city should recognize the potential to extort lots of $$ in a new lease agreement because they should have the knicks and rangers by the balls here, they arent going to find another space like this one.

Ceetar Jul 25 2013 10:24 AM Re: City to MSG: "Get out."

Nymr83 wrote: I dont really care about a stupid train station, removing the Garden would be the real tragedy. Of course, the city should recognize the potential to extort lots of $$ in a new lease agreement because they should have the knicks and rangers by the balls here, they arent going to find another space like this one. I'm the opposite, don't give a crap about the Rangers or Knicks. get out and make my train station nice.

Frayed Knot Jul 25 2013 11:51 AM Re: City to MSG: "Get out." Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jul 25 2013 12:04 PM

Nymr83 wrote: I dont really care about a stupid train station, removing the Garden would be the real tragedy.. Considering that the current MSG is, I believe, the fifth version of the original MSG* I'm not sure that "tragedy" is the proper word here. I remember New Yorkers of a certain age forever talking about the Garden at (50th & 8th?) as if it were the one and only TRUE Madison Square Garden and that none other had existed beforehand. Plus, it's not like the current building or arena is some state of the art venue. Hell, they could have built a whole new one for probably less than what these seemingly once-per-decade overhauls they keep doing to the place cost. * Not surprisingly, the original was at Madison Square

soupcan Jul 25 2013 12:03 PM Re: City to MSG: "Get out."

Yeah, I'm not buying this. Why would Cablevision dump almost a billion dollars into renovating MSG if they weren't 100% certain that the Knicks and Rangers would be there for the foreseeable future? That, coupled with a non-response from the Dolans and the fact that this story is not front page news makes me think its a negotiating ploy by the City. P.S. I vote for the train station over MSG.

Nymr83 Jul 25 2013 12:07 PM Re: City to MSG: "Get out."

I hope it is a negotiating ploy and i hope the Dolans get squeezed like a big juicy orange right into the tax coffers... they can afford it with what they are charging us!

Kong76 Jul 25 2013 12:23 PM Re: City to MSG: "Get out."

And here's where the Knicks should move to: I almost just threw up in my mouth. Funny that Dolan is advertising on the mausoleum.

MFS62 Jul 25 2013 12:45 PM Re: City to MSG: "Get out."

There's a nice, empty, arena up in Hartford. Later

Edgy MD Jul 25 2013 02:00 PM Re: City to MSG: "Get out."

Wasn't Daniel Patrick Moynihan perpetually working on securing funds to turn the Farley Post Office Buliding into the Nu Penn?

Mets – Willets Point Jul 26 2013 08:59 AM Re: City to MSG: "Get out."

As much as I love historic preservation and public transportation, it is just not possible to restore a building that was demolished 50 years ago. Similarly, while MSG is an architecturally dubious structure, it is functional, and it is not at all cost-effective to demolish and rebuild it somewhere else. It seems to me that the plan to make adaptive use of the GPO across the street as a new Penn Station is the best of both worlds - it preserves an historic building and creates a new grand space for rail passengers. I can't seem to find anything on the internet to explain why that plan is no longer being pursued.

metirish Jul 26 2013 10:01 AM Re: City to MSG: "Get out."

Doesn't MSG have some ridicules tax scheme where they pay noting and the City gets screwed?

Nymr83 Jul 26 2013 12:48 PM Re: City to MSG: "Get out."

metirish wrote: Doesn't MSG have some ridicules tax scheme where they pay noting and the City gets screwed? Probably. I think Dolan learned that trick from King George up in the Bronx (where, lets remember, "nobody will ever come to see us play"). The city should really make sure THAT is cut out of the next lease.

Edgy MD Jul 26 2013 01:21 PM Re: City to MSG: "Get out."

Yeah, but how big a threat is it? "The party's over! No more free ride. We don't stand for you playing under special rules. And if you don't like it and want to leave, fine. No more Mr. Nice Council. Starting in 10 years. When we're all gone."

Edgy MD Jul 26 2013 01:23 PM Re: City to MSG: "Get out."

And by the way? The demolition of the gorgeous old Penn Station in 1963 to make way for the construction of Madison Square Garden remains one of the country's great civic tragedies. Really? An historic preservation tragedy, certainly. And a great one. But one of the greatest civic tragedies?