GOPERS' SILVER NUGGET
By TOM TOPOUSIS

May 26, 2005 -- Gov. Pataki and Mayor Bloomberg yesterday unveiled $830 million in downtown development goodies — including some new parks — as they try to convince Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver to approve a stadium on the West Side.

Many of the projects target Silver's concern that lower Manhattan's needs must be addressed before granting state approval to a $2 billion Jets stadium that would anchor a new business district on the far West Side.

But Silver, who has one of three votes needed to approve the stadium project, was unmoved by the effort.

"It has nothing to do with his plea to spur job development or lure new business to lower Manhattan," said a spokesman for Silver.

Also yesterday, new pressure was put on Silver from a majority of City Council members who signed a letter encouraging Silver and state Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno to put their support behind the stadium.

The letter was signed by 28 of the 51 council members — even though Council Speaker Gifford Miller opposes the stadium. But many of the members backing the new home for the Jets are minorities who are interested in creating jobs.

Both Bloomberg and Pataki said the agreement on how to spend $830 million in federal funds for downtown was the result of more than two years of public forums and analysis and was not designed to appease Silver.

"Let me also add that most of these things were in our plan in December of '02, long before any of the current issues came up," Bloomberg said.

The funds are the last of the more than $2 billion allocated to the Lower Manhattan Development Corp. after the terror attacks. The largest chunk, $300 million, will help pay for the World Trade Center Memorial.

But most of the money will go toward projects off the WTC site.

Chinatown will get $32 million to improve the flow of traffic and pedestrians, as well as funding for increased garbage pickup and business start-up assistance.

Fulton and Greenwich streets will each get intensive makeovers, with part of Greenwich Street reconstructed into a park-like space.

Bloomberg said he wants Fulton Street to serve as downtown's "Main Street." Greenwich Street, south of the WTC, will become the city's "newest neighborhood." More than $200 million has been dedicated to waterfront parks.

Goldman Sachs is being courted heavily to move to a proposed headquarters site at Battery Park City. Bloomberg yesterday said he's confident the firm will stay downtown.