Notable projects that have been killed in New York

Sometimes issues can live or die with a decision from one influential person. That was recently highlighted by Gov. Kathy Hochul’s halt to congestion pricing, but it’s not just governors who have that power. Politicians at all levels and even politically engaged citizens can almost single-handedly bring down projects that would have otherwise moved forward. Here are a few key New York City projects and the individuals who killed them.

Kathy Hochul – Congestion pricing

Congestion pricing would have charged drivers $15 entering the core of Manhattan below 60th Street. Say so long to $15 billion for mass transit and the MTA. Gov. Kathy Hochul’s last-minute decision generally got a thumbs-up from voters who didn’t like the extra fee.

Chris Christie – ARC Tunnel

The ARC plan would have built two new rail tunnels between New Jersey and New York, but it was canned by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie in 2010. Christie said construction would have run $3 billion to $5 billion over budget, but the need for new tunnels didn’t go away. Gateway, the successor to ARC, is just now getting underway.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez/Michael Gianaris – Amazon HQ2

In 2018, Amazon decided to build a new headquarters in Queens. The project would have included $3 billion in government incentives, which, along with other aspects of the project, did not sit right with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and state Sen. Michael Gianaris. The company canceled the project on Valentine’s Day in 2019.

Ruben Diaz Jr. – Kingsbridge Armory

Soon after Ruben Diaz Jr. was elected Bronx borough president in 2009, he killed plans to build a mall in the empty Kingsbridge Armory. He did so because the developer, Related Companies, refused to pay at least $10 an hour with benefits to mall employees. The Kingsbridge armory remains vacant to this day.

Sheldon Silver/Joseph Bruno – West Side Stadium

The West Side Stadium would have been the centerpiece of New York City’s 2012 Olympic bid. The project was shot down in 2005 by then Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and state Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno over concerns that it would have sidetracked the redevelopment of lower Manhattan. Instead, there’s now the high-end commercial and residential development at Hudson Yards.

Jane Jacobs – Lower Manhattan Expressway

The Lower Manhattan Expressway was a plan by Robert Moses to build a highway through Greenwich Village and SoHo. Jane Jacobs, an influential author, built a grassroots resistance and influenced public opinion against the project with her book, “The Death and Life of American Cities.” Her efforts were a success, and by the late 1960s, Moses’ project had lost all steam before being killed in 1971.

Robert Moses – Second Avenue subway

Proposals for building the Second Avenue subway began in 1920. The funds and the means were available for the project in the 1940s and 1950s, but when the city tried to build it in 1942 and 1954, Robert Moses prevented funds he controlled from being allocated to the project. The first phase of the Second Avenue subway finally opened in 2017.