Assembly Bill A10835

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   10835
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               July 20, 2020
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  COMMITTEE  ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. D. Rosen-
   thal) -- read once and referred  to  the  Committee  on  Corporations,
   Authorities and Commissions
 
 AN  ACT  in  relation to requiring certain provisions be included in any
   procurement or agreement prior to disposing of any asset owned, leased
   or otherwise controlled  on  or  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the
   Lefferts Boulevard Bridge
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1.  Legislative  intent.  The  legislature  hereby  finds  and
 declares  that the Lefferts Boulevard Bridge is an essential almost 100-
 year-old structure of historical significance  in  Kew  Gardens,  Queens
 that  has  been  owned  by the MTA/Long Island Rail Road since 1925. The
 bridge has been an integral and essential focal point for community life
 in Kew Gardens for the past century. The bridge has long served critical
 and multiple purposes in the community-as a hub of business and culture,
 and as a pristine example of "Ponte Vecchio" style architecture which is
 rare and brilliant, particularly in New York City. The structure  itself
 has  intrinsically historical significance and currently is under review
 by the office of parks, recreation and historic preservation for  desig-
 nation  on  the New York State and National Registers of Historic Places
 Programs. In addition, the bridge is home to a  series  of  longstanding
 local  businesses, many of which have served the community, and contrib-
 uted substantial revenues to the MTA, for  multiple  generations,  while
 hard  at  work in their humble storefronts on top of the bridge. In 2018
 the bridge was saved from demolition  by  an  earnest  and  professional
 partnership  between  the  MTA,  LIRR,  the businesses and the concerned
 community.  Stabilization of the structure was undertaken and now  reha-
 bilitation  is  contemplated  yet the metes and bounds are unclear. This
 legislation will ensure that the character of the  singularly  important
 bridge  and  its footprint are protected and that the bridge-based busi-
 nesses are given a fair opportunity to continue, post rehabilitation.
   § 2. Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, prior  to  disposing  of
 any  asset  owned, leased or otherwise controlled on or in the immediate
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
              

                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD16949-01-0

 A. 10835                            2
 
 vicinity of the Lefferts Boulevard Bridge, the metropolitan  transporta-
 tion  authority,  long  island  rail  road, or any of their subsidiaries
 shall comply with subdivisions 1, 2, and 3 and paragraphs  a  and  b  of
 subdivision  6  of  section  2897 of the public authorities law and also
 include the following provisions in any procurement or agreement related
 to such disposal:
   (a) Offering a right of first refusal to  match  the  responsible  bid
 considered  most  advantageous  to  the  state to any current tenants or
 lessees or sublessees after fair market value is  determined  or  public
 advertisement for bids has concluded;
   (b)  Limiting  potential future uses of the asset being disposed of to
 preserving the use, height, bulk or floor area ratio,  and  parking  for
 the term of any lease or sublease entered into pursuant to the disposal.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.