Expansion Of NYC’s Javits Center Imminent

NEW YORK— During an event held here at Gracie Mansion, NYC & Co. and city officials reported that expanding the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center to include hotels, more meeting space, and increased transportation has become a top priority for New York. With NYC making bids for such high-profile events as the Grammy’s, the 2012 Olympics, and the Democratic National Convention, the city wanted to stress that, “tradeshow business is just as important,” according to Tony Lee, vp/George Little Management. In front of a group of some of the nation’s top meeting planners, Lee kicked off the city’s second in a series of “Leadership Summits” dedicated to the tradeshow industry. He began by recognizing NYC’s entire tourism industry needs to “come together and re-enforce the belief that New York is a No. 1 destination for meetings and convention business.” Daniel Doctoroff, deputy mayor for economic development and rebuilding— which includes overseeing the development of the World Trade Center site— echoed this belief. Doctoroff reported that Mayor Bloomberg is committed to “expanding the Javits facility to make it one of the best facilities in the world, because we want people— we need people— to want to come back to New York City.” Doctoroff added that a plan has been proposed as part of the Olympic effort to transform the entire area surrounding NYC’s depressed convention center, which now sits amidst rail yards, auto body shops and parking lots, yet nowhere near public transportation, hotels or restaurants. He noted the city plans to fill the area with hotels, including a headquarter property; access to the waterfront; local subway, MetroNorth, and Long Island Railroad stations; and possibly another Madison Square Garden. “Obviously this is not going to happen overnight, but we’re optimistic that given the new co-operations between the city and the state, we will see the expansion,” he remarked. While winning the bid for the Olympics would definitely speed up development, “the realty is that it should happen independently [of the Olympics],” he stated. Currently there is “no timetable” yet for the expansion, and discussions are in the “beginning stages,” said Doctoroff, adding that, “there’s just a commitment from the city to get it done.” Cristyne L. Nicholas, president/CEO of NYC & Co., emphasized this commitment. While Nicholas stated the city “expects to be put on the short list for the 2012 Olympics on November 3,” she was quick to add that the final Olympic decision wouldn’t be announced until 2005. “By that time we hope Javits will be planning its ribbon cutting,” she said. One thing is for sure, the Javits Center will be expanding its convention space on the grounds of the former Yale Bulding, which was bought by the center more than a year ago for $60 million, said Gerald McQueen, president/CEO of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. McQueen noted that the center has been looking to expand for several years, but plans were stalled after 9/11.