Gateway Application Needs to be Withdrawn

At today’s state City Council meeting committees will be formed and the hearing for Related’s Gateway Mall application will be finally set. Assuming the hearing is early next week, the Council will only have 2 weeks to review the single largest retail development in the Bronx’s history. For this reason alone Chris Quinn and her colleagues should demand that Related withdraw and resubmit its application so that a thorough review can take place.

The timeframe issue is put into sharper relief considering that there are a number of outstanding issues that will not be resolved in the next two weeks. Some of these matters include the status of the merchant relocation, the presence of a big-box store like BJ’s or Wal-Mart, the acceptability of the community benefits agreement and the need for an independent analysis of traffic, environmental and economic impacts of the Gateway development. All of these issues must be addressed prior to a vote.

We outline in more detail the case for withdrawal here.