S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   3266
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 28, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens. COMRIE, ADDABBO -- read twice and ordered printed,
   and when printed to be committed 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

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD05139-01-1
              

 S. 3266                             2
 
 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
 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.