Editorial

April 1, 2005 -- Welcome home, New York Jets!

The MTA's unanimous approval yesterday of the team's plan for a stadium on the West Side was a huge score for them — and for New York.

Besides Jets games, Gotham may soon be hosting the 2010 Super Bowl at the stadium. And the Olympic Games in 2012.

The economically vital extension of the No. 7 subway line also got a big boost.

And say hello to thousands of new jobs. Housing. Business. Cash for City Hall.

"The Sports and Convention Center will catalyze the development of an area that has been neglected for decades," said Mayor Bloomberg. "It will create jobs and opportunity . . . grow our economy and generate new tax revenue to pay for vital services like public safety."

But an end-zone dance may be premature: New York may fumble the deal yet.

Still needed is a green light from a state panel consisting of Gov. Pataki, state Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.

And while Pataki backs the stadium, his counterparts have been wishy-washy.

Silver, in particular, is famous for putting his own parochial interests above the greater good and holding up projects to extort concessions.

New Yorkers should fully expect him to try that with the stadium.

But that would be a shame — because delays in this case can be catastrophic.

Remember, the deal approved yesterday was supposed to be done last fall.

It was delayed again two months ago, just as the MTA was set to finalize a price with the Jets for the sale of the stadium site. Cablevision (which owns Madison Square Garden) sought to block the stadium (and thereby ward off competition to the Garden) by throwing in a monkey wrench: a $600 million bid that topped the Jets' offer, then $100 million.

More specifically, its goal was to stall the project long enough to kill it. And sure enough, the MTA had no choice but to open bidding for the site and put off its decision — until yesterday.

Mayor Mike yesterday put his finger on an important political pressure point, suggesting that former Sen. Alfonse D'Amato — a well-paid consultant to Cablevision — now work to convince the company to drop its obstructionism.

"I would think the advisers to [Cablevision] — Al D'Amato for example. He's a senator who's always had the interests of New York and New York City foremost in his mind. He's been an adviser to one of the groups, and he can certainly give them advice."

Certainly it's fair to ask how much more of a delay can the Jets be expected to tolerate. They, and their partners, are champing at the bit for a chance to invest $1.5 billion in the stadium and nearby development projects.

That is what Silver & Co. would be risking if they pulled their usual tricks.

And then, of course, there are the inevitable lawsuits.

"You're going to be sued," Rep. Anthony Weiner threatened MTA board members. Weiner is running for mayor but apparently couldn't care less about the city's fortunes. "You're going to have to explain in court over months and months and years and years . . . "

Months and months and years and years.

Do the Jets have the staying power to defeat these self-interested Luddites?

For the sake of the city, let's hope so.