Stadium plan far from a
dome deal, Silver tells Mike

BY MICHAEL SAUL
DAILY NEWS CITY HALL BUREAU

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, who has veto power over the proposed West Side stadium, sent a clear message to Mayor Bloomberg yesterday that he's nowhere near ready to give the controversial project the green light.

"The mayor is absolutely right in advocating for what he believes in," said Silver, referring to Bloomberg's insistence that the city will not be awarded the 2012 Olympic Games if the stadium isn't approved before the International Olympic Committee selects the host city July 6.

"I just think that the bulk of the public doesn't agree with him on this point," Silver (D-Manhattan) said on WFAN-AM radio yesterday.

Last week, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority decided to award its West Side railyards to the Jets.

However, the $1.9 billion stadium still needs the approval of two state boards, the Empire State Development Corp. and the Public Authorities Control Board.

Silver, who sits on the Public Authorities Control Board, said he fears that Bloomberg's plans to redevelop the far West Side will compete with the city's efforts to revive lower Manhattan following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Silver also wondered out loud whether the MTA got a fair price for the property and whether the stadium would be a traffic nightmare for West Siders.

Bloomberg said yesterday he was confident the Public Authorities Control Board - controlled by Gov. Pataki, Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno and Silver - would ultimately approve the project.