Bill Text: NY S08781 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Requires certain provisions be included in any procurement or agreement prior to disposing of any asset owned, leased or otherwise controlled on or in the immediate vicinity of the Lefferts Boulevard Bridge.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2020-07-23 - referred to corporations, authorities and commissions [S08781 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-S08781-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          8781

                    IN SENATE

                                      July 15, 2020
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen.  COMRIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules

        AN ACT in relation to requiring certain provisions be  included  in  any
          procurement or agreement prior to disposing of any asset owned, leased
          or  otherwise  controlled  on  or  in  the  immediate  vicinity of the
          Lefferts Boulevard Bridge

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section  1.  Legislative  intent.  The  legislature  hereby  finds and
     2  declares that the Lefferts Boulevard Bridge is an essential almost  100-
     3  year-old  structure  of  historical  significance in Kew Gardens, Queens
     4  that has been owned by the MTA/Long Island Rail  Road  since  1925.  The
     5  bridge has been an integral and essential focal point for community life
     6  in Kew Gardens for the past century. The bridge has long served critical
     7  and multiple purposes in the community-as a hub of business and culture,
     8  and as a pristine example of "Ponte Vecchio" style architecture which is
     9  rare  and brilliant, particularly in New York City. The structure itself
    10  has intrinsically historical significance and currently is under  review
    11  by  the office of parks, recreation and historic preservation for desig-
    12  nation on the New York State and National Registers of  Historic  Places
    13  Programs.  In  addition,  the bridge is home to a series of longstanding
    14  local businesses, many of which have served the community, and  contrib-
    15  uted  substantial  revenues  to the MTA, for multiple generations, while
    16  hard at work in their humble storefronts on top of the bridge.  In  2018
    17  the  bridge  was  saved  from  demolition by an earnest and professional
    18  partnership between the MTA, LIRR,  the  businesses  and  the  concerned
    19  community.   Stabilization of the structure was undertaken and now reha-
    20  bilitation is contemplated yet the metes and bounds  are  unclear.  This
    21  legislation  will  ensure that the character of the singularly important
    22  bridge and its footprint are protected and that the  bridge-based  busi-
    23  nesses are given a fair opportunity to continue, post rehabilitation.
    24    §  2.  Notwithstanding  any law to the contrary, prior to disposing of
    25  any asset owned, leased or otherwise controlled on or in  the  immediate
    26  vicinity  of the Lefferts Boulevard Bridge, the metropolitan transporta-

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD16949-01-0
        S. 8781                             2

     1  tion authority, long island rail road,  or  any  of  their  subsidiaries
     2  shall  comply  with  subdivisions  1, 2, and 3 and paragraphs a and b of
     3  subdivision 6 of section 2897 of the public  authorities  law  and  also
     4  include the following provisions in any procurement or agreement related
     5  to such disposal:
     6    (a)  Offering  a  right  of first refusal to match the responsible bid
     7  considered most advantageous to the state  to  any  current  tenants  or
     8  lessees  or  sublessees  after fair market value is determined or public
     9  advertisement for bids has concluded;
    10    (b) Limiting potential future uses of the asset being disposed  of  to
    11  preserving  the  use,  height, bulk or floor area ratio, and parking for
    12  the term of any lease or sublease entered into pursuant to the disposal.
    13    § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.