Thompson denies prison redevelopment, calls project “fundamentally flawed”

The election may be over, but Mayor Michael Bloomberg and city Comptroller William Thompson are still finding things to clash over. Thompson refused to approve a $34 million design contract to reopen and expand a Downtown Brooklyn jail yesterday, the New York Daily News reported, for the third time in a row — even after Bloomberg sent him a letter mandating that he approve the plan under law. Thompson said that he found the contract “fundamentally flawed” and that it shouldn’t be constructed, especially considering the numerous budget cuts that Bloomberg’s administration has pushed through. “The people of New York City do not deserve to have their tax dollars wasted on an unnecessary project,” Thompson said. “This boondoggle has been a disaster since day one.”