Anxiety over de Blasio “overblown”: SL Green chairman

SL Green Realty Chairman Stephen Green addressed business owners’ anxieties yesterday over the incoming administration of Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio, calling those feelings “overblown.”

Although outgoing Mayor Bloomberg’s 73-block rezoning plan for Midtown East met its demise last month, de Blasio has vowed to revisit it, albeit with potentially significant changes. But SL Green president Andrew Mathias was also confident a rebirth of the proposal is on the horizon. He projects a new plan will be in place within the year, he told investors on a conference call.

Mathias added that de Blasio is an advocate for One Vanderbilt, SL Green’s 65-story, 1.5 million-square-foot office tower project adjacent to Grand Central Station, Bloomberg News reported. The rezoning, which would have allowed for taller skyscrapers, was expected to aid the tower’s development. [Bloomberg News] — Mark Maurer