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October 9, 2011
Blame game over Port Authority executive director position
Crain's New York
As speculation mounts that Patrick Foye—the deputy secretary for economic development for Gov. Andrew Cuomo—will succeed Christopher Ward as Port Authority executive director, insiders are revisiting his performance as head of the Empire State Development Corp. under Gov. Eliot Spitzer.
Not everyone liked what they saw. Mr. Foye's tenure at the state's primary economic development agency ended prematurely; he quit days after Mr. Spitzer resigned in March 2008. Insiders said he struggled to work with real estate developers and the Bloomberg administration to lift New York City megaprojects off the ground.
Some who worked with him on projects describe Mr. Foye as indecisive and unable to maneuver adeptly between various political stakeholders—deficiencies that critics said would be even more glaring if he ran the bistate, multibillion-dollar Port Authority.
“He couldn't advance the ball,” said one insider. “He didn't know what he was doing.”
Detractors said Mr. Foye took a hands-off approach toward Atlantic Yards and led the state to abandon its expansion plans for the Javits Convention Center, which were deemed too costly. The momentum to build Moynihan Station lost steam under his watch. And after his departure, the city wrested control of Brooklyn Bridge Park and Governors Island from the state.
NoLandGrab: A "hands-off approach toward Atlantic Yards" amounts to tacit approval.
Posted by steve at October 9, 2011 10:41 PM