Sen. Charles Schumer has rescued two Manhattan infrastructure projects from massive budget cuts proposed by the House of Representatives, DNAinfo reported.

If the cuts proposed by the 2012 transportation/housing and urban development appropriations bill had gone ahead, they would have eliminated nearly 50 percent of funding for the East Side Access project, an initiative to dramatically expand the underground rail tunnels at Grand Central Terminal, Schumer’s office said, and cut $197 million in funding for the Second Avenue Subway.

“While the cuts passed in the House put the project on life support, I am pleased we were able to beat back these cuts and keep the [East Side Access] project moving forward,” Schumer said. [more]

From left: 48 East 50th Street, map of East Side Access project

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority bought the first of four
adjacent Midtown commercial buildings that will ultimately be demolished to make way for the development of a 60-foot ventilation structure that is part of the East Side Access project. The MTA paid $9.25 million for the vacant, 8,748-square-foot, five-story building at 48 East 50th Street, going into contract and then closing May 29, city property records published today indicate.
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