A Bronx Cheer

The notion of a West Side stadium gets a universal thumbs-down from all four Democratic mayoral candidates, but Representative Anthony Weiner has taken his rap a step further, saying the Jets project reflects something disturbing at the heart of the Bloomberg administration.

The plan “has come to typify” secret deals by the administration that favor “close allies of City Hall,” says Weiner. And, unlike his competitors, Weiner has drawn a straight line from the stadium to another Bloomberg favorite, the Bronx Terminal Market. There, some two dozen wholesale merchants with several hundred employees are being forced out to make way for a mega-mall developed by Stephen Ross of Related Companies, a former business partner of Deputy Mayor Daniel Doctoroff. The market deal was made without competitive bidding, even though Doctoroff has acknowledged that it was he who originally tipped Ross to the site’s development possibilities (Voice, “Market-Rate Giveaway,” March 23-29).

Thus far, Fernando Ferrer has been silent on the market plan, which is supported by his ally and successor, current Bronx beep Adolfo Carrion. The merchants have been asking Council Speaker Gifford Miller to hold hearings on their plight, but so far none have been scheduled.

“This part of the city may need to be developed,” said Weiner in a speech last month, “but it should be done in an open and fair way, not with special deals that raise questions about whether only political allies need apply.”