Hail Brittania

Well it’s finally over and London gets the Olympic nod. The best take, pre-announcement, is from Mike Lupica in today’s Daily News. Lupica’s observation “that it will take years” before we will be able to unravel the hidden agenda of Deputy Dan, is right on the mark.

All of this leaves a number of unanswered questions concerning two of the city’s development projects. The velodrome/House of Detention swap at the Bronx Terminal Market is, of course, first on the list. Will the proposed swap effect the certification and land use application for this controversial project? It’s hard to predict but we do know that skepticism over the scheme is beginning to build in the Southwest Bronx.

In Willets Point we are sure that the development plans will go forward in spite of the Olympic decision. With the accelerant gone, however, the eminent domain scheme should meet a bit more resistance from local elected officials. In order to prevent the confiscation of their property, the WPBA is going to need political allies all over the city. This will be their major challenge.