Lieber Says, 'Call Me'
When City Councilman Hiram Monseratte said that land owners at Willets Point, Queens, did not think the city was engaged in “good faith negotiations” to relocate them, the president of the city's Economic Development Corporation took the opportunity to give out his phone number.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if they tell you that,” Robert Lieber said at today’s City Council hearing on the subject. “I challenge any one of them to come up to me to tell me that to my face. I have talked to all of them. Let me also add that to the extent that they don’t think we are engaged, my number is 212-312-3511. Call me, because we are doing everything we can.”
After his testimony, as he was talking to a reporter outside Council Chambers, one Willets business owner stopped by to get Mr. Lieber’s business card—actually, three of them, to distribute to his friends.
Mr. Lieber (and his gang) have methodically held meetings with the landowners at Willets Point while basically offering 'pie in the sky'parcels that are, quite franky, a joke!
It's all an exercise by EDC to satisfy requirements that are mandatory (by New York State charter) as part of the CEQR process. (City Environmental Quality Review Act) In that process, they MUST demonstrate that they have legitimately acted in good faith to relocate existing landowners.They have not!
Mr. Lieber's Hollywood-like "Here is my card, anyone can call me" is good theater. But calling him begs the real issue of EDC choreographing their method of 'stealing' the land!