Selling
Buildings Helps City
by
Mayor Rudy Giuliani
One
of the keys to New York City’s success throughout its history
has been willingness to embrace change. As our city begins a new
century, it is appropriate that we look for ways to ensure that
New York remains vital and committed to the pursuit of excellence.
That is why we are taking steps to upgrade facilities for the
Board of Education.
Following last year’s release of a Request for Expressions of
Interest (RFEI) to purchase the Board of Education headquarters
at 110 Livingston Street and its two other buildings in Downtown
Brooklyn, the City is now moving ahead with the release of a Request
for Proposals (RFP) from developers interested in purchasing some
or all of the buildings.
In conjunction with this sale, we are also releasing an RFEI to
lease or develop a new state-of-the-art building in Downtown Brooklyn
that will house Board headquarters and include a new high standards
public school.
For far too long, 110 Livingston Street has served as a symbol
of a bloated bureaucracy in desperate need of systemic reform,
instead of educational excellence. We have the highest Board of
Education budget ever—$12 billion annually—combined with the lowest
student-teacher ratio ever, and the largest five-year capital
plan ever. We need to ensure that this money is spent wisely and
responsibly. By selling the Board’s headquarters and moving it
to a smaller facility, we will redirect these resources to where
they are needed most—in the classroom.
The properties included in the RFP, all located in Downtown Brooklyn,
are 110 Livingston Street, 65 Court Street and 131 Livingston
Street. The sale of these three sites should bring enough money
to build a modern headquarters for the Board of Education, and
also keep alive the possibility of including a school in that
building, which would keep the Board’s focus where it should be—on
educating children.
Consolidating Board headquarters into one location will allow
it to streamline its operations and trim its central staff. I
look forward to working with the Board to expedite the sale of
its existing headquarters, to develop this new facility.
The sale of city-owned buildings provides opportunities for change
that can lead to substantial economic development. To request
a copy of the solicitations, please call the Economic Development
Corporation Contract Hotline at 212-312-3969.
Education Update, Inc., P.O. Box 20005, New York, NY 10001. Tel:
(212) 481-5519. Fax: (212) 481-3919. Email: ednews1@aol.com.
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the publisher. © 2001.
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