PANYNJ February Board
of Commissioners Meeting
Somber reflections on co-workers passings and finances
BY JEFF YAPALATER
The Port AuthorityBoard
of Commissioners meeting
of February 11, opened with
somber notes. The Board
recognized Board Commissioner
George McDonald who
recently passed from a long
healthbattle. Commissioners
appeared on a video documentingGeorge’s
life and
commitment to social responsibility
and to his work on the
Board. The Commissioners
also held recognition for five
Port employees who have perished
from Covid. Moment of
silence was held for all.
This somber news was followed
by the report of the Port
finances, which are in terrible
shape because revenue has
been impacted by Covid according
to the Executive Director.
Rick Cotton. As has been
reported in the past, the Port is
anticipating a $3 billion deficit
through March of 2022 which “
has devastated our economy’
and the drop in revenue from
airports and vehicular traffic.
Until now, pleas to the federal
government have not been answered
but it is believed and
hoped that under the Biden
administration, with the help
from the NY delegation, state
and local funding which includes
multi=state support for
the Port, may likely happen.
Until that time, the Port is
operating on reduction of expenses
and pause on all new infrastructure
projects, which is
unfortunate since Port dollars
leverage private investment.
Cotton stated that unless funding
is forthcoming from Washington
it would greatly impact
the construction of our capital
projects, which are as of now
on pause.
Cotton said “ Not getting
money from the renewed Cares
Act in December and if no
money is appropriated from
the anticipated stimulus bill
in march, will have dire consequences
to continue Port’s
capitalprojects which are economic
engines to the Queens
borough and beyond. He said
that with the lost revenue it
wouldseverely limit the Port’s
ability to contribute to the recovery
of the region. Saying, “
We continue to make the case
for the multi-state support,
which does not fit into the traditional
AIRPORT V 24 OICE, FEBRUARY 2021
structure (since the
Port has been self-sustaining
since it’s inception 100 years
ago) which we anticipate in
March Congress will create
a separate pot of funding.Is is
critical.”
JFK Redevelopment
In response to question on
how the lack of funding willimpact
projects at the airports
and JFK. Cotton said that the
big framework still exists.But
the projects that have not begun
construction for lack of
funding will suffer. JFK is one.
Cotton said, The Port is re-allocating
funding previouslyauthorized,
from projects directly
tied to redevelopment
to projects that also have independent
utility for the airport
even if we are notsuccessful in
renegotiating deals or capital
funding.” The Port is shifting
funds away from rebuilding
taxiways adjacent to new terminals
to an electrical substation.
This substation improvement
is needed for everyday
functionalitywithout any redevelopment
he added.
To continue to maintain the
current airports infrastructure
the Port is renegotiating
private deals and developer
sources of funding, while seeking
federal aid, and cutting
back on early work, and spending
directly to facilities that
would benefit without overall
redevelopment. Cotton reiterated,
“ If redevelopment does
not go forward it is still advantageousto
our airport.”
Asked if the airlines are
still onboard for redevelopment,
Cotton said that the
Port is in discussions with all
airlines involved in projects.
He cannot predict how they
will come out. We all believe
air travel will come back and
when, not if, and the primary
discussion requires everyone
conform with the trajectory
when air travel comes back.
The increase in capacity by
transformation of the airport
to a world class standard remains
the goal of all partners.
The challenging impact that
Covid had on everyone is hard
work but driving terminal renovations
and commitment is
getting there but we need aid
and be able to find the sweet
spot in restructuring the project
and stick to the projected
trajectory of return to passenger
traffic. Recently Port
managerRichardSmyth left
the Port and took the position
of design and operations project
manager rot the New Terminal
One. This may speak to
the anticipated progress to be
made in this part of the overall
d=redevelopment. It is a=said
that this project should break
ground sometime the later
part of 2021.
State of LaGuardia
AirTrain.
Cotton said there is a lot to
say about the LGA AirTrain. “
It is Irresponsible not to build
a rail mass transit link. Customers
repeatedly say that access
to airport is one absolutely
top criteria in judging and using
an airport today.” He said
that Port and partners are completelyrebuilding
LGA into a
new airport, by tearing down
and rebuilding every passenger
facility except the iconic
Marine AirTerminal, to have a
world-class airport. Currently
two new terminals or wings are
completed, roadways and other
buildings are moving forward.
Theconstruction of LaGuardia
was funded before the pandemic
so the project is expected
to continue to progress and see
completion in a few years.
Of the AirTrain, Cotton
added, “Having a transportation
link is the goal so people
get out of cars, reduce congestion,
and reducing air pollution
and greenhouse gases and
provide passengers with a predictable
reliable journey to airport.”
There is just no rational
or defensible course other than
getting the AirTrain in operation
as fast as humanly possible
and provide a trip of under
30 minutes from Midtown
Manhattan to LaGuardia. “
Addressing some criticism
that Port will negatively impact
the area, he described that
the route that the AirTrain follows
successfully avoids taking
any nearby residential or
commercial properties and
succeeds in moving passengers
to and from Willets of
LIRR and 7 line to under 6 minutes.
Chairman O’Toole said
that Port is 100% committed to
the Airtrain to LGA thatis environmentally
sound and safe.
Cargo
Redevelopment at
JFK
There have been recent Requests
for Proposals for operations,
and redevelopment
at JFK, Stewart and Newark
airports. While no plans have
been approved other than two
buildings at JFK, Cotton says
that the air cargo is part of a
larger picture of a vision of
transformation by the Aviation
department and Port
is committed to redevelopment
and making the airport
more competitive and effective
cargo operation. He said
the requests for proposals are
part of this process adding He
that more information would
be forthcoming on these developments
along with the status
of two already approved cargo
buildings at JFK.
Based on this comment andothers,
like everything else,
the pandemic has hadan impact
on the design and finances
originally developed before the
pandemic and devastating financial
impact on Port.
New World Trade
Center tower
A new project has been announced
by the Derek Utter of
the Port Authority. The construction
of a major new World
Trade Center building is in the
works. Tower 5 will be a huge
skyscraper located near the Reflection
Pool and be primarily a
residential balding along with
commercial tenants. The planis
to provide affordable housing to
at least 25% of the property with
market rents for the rest. When
questioned about the idea of
building a new residential tower
in the face of greatly diminished
business activity in lower Manhattan
Cotton replied,” that
it would be a mistake to bet
against NYC.”The project would
be financed by other developers,
not costing the Port a significant
expense to get it built. The
project would be several years
to complete when approved.
Port Authority Chair Kevin O’Toole expresses condolences to passing of
fellow Commissioner George MacDonald, and five PA workers who died
from Covid.