Stringer will reject Chelsea Market expansion

Having already faced off against the community board and the Department of City Planning, Jamestown Properties has been presented with a new obstacle in its bid to expand Chelsea Market. The New York Times reported that Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer will recommend today that the project be vetoed unless significant reductions are made. Stringer wants Jamestown to back off its planned eight-story, 240,000-square-foot office addition to the 10th Avenue side of the market. Instead, he would be open to the developer enlarging the 11-story, 90,000-square-foot office addition it wants to Build On The Ninth Avenue side. “The reason I’m saying no is they didn’t meet the standard to becoming a part of the community,” Stringer told the Times. “They have to coexist with that community, not overwhelm it.” The Times noted that Stringer’s stance could be significant to his candidacy in the upcoming mayoral race. The woman who figures to be his chief opponent, Council Speaker Christine Quinn, has yet to take a position on the proposal for her district as she’s torn between business interests and those of her constituents. [NYT]