Stronger Than Iron: Bloomberg Will Win on Willets Point

Barring any last second shenanigans, tomorrow's City Council vote on the massive Willets Point redevelopment plan will lack drama. It's in the bag, folks. Officials have hammered out an affordable housing agreement (1,900 of the 5,500 planned units will be below market-rate), and now local councilman Hiram Monserrate—previously a vehement opponent of Bloomberg's Iron Triangle redevelopment plan—is on board, as is Council Speaker Christine Quinn, affordable housing group ACORN and other key folks. "We have gotten to a point where I believe the vast majority of my colleagues will stand with myself," Christine Quinn said at an afternoon press conference, according to The Real Estate. A deal is also in the works with the biggest private landowner at the auto-shop-dominated Willets Point, which would give the city control of nearly half the private land on the 62-acre industrial site near the Mets' Citi Field. Sure, we have the eminent domain battles and financing concerns (wait, they're actually going to try to build this?) to look forward to, but for now Mayor Mike can celebrate his undefeated record in these nasty redevelopment battles. He is Iron Man. Er, Iron Triangle Man.
· In the End, Bloomberg Gets His Way on Willets Point [TRE]
· Tomorrow is D-Day for Willets Point Plan [Curbed]For more stories from Curbed, go to curbed.com.

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