Even in a Hurricane, Mayor Bloomberg Bullish on Waterfront Development

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We know many people are not leaving the evacuation zone, and that many of them got there in the first place thanks to developments fostered by the Bloomberg administration. At this morning’s press briefing, The Observer asked the mayor if it was wise to continue encouraging development in these flood-prone areas. Should people really be living on the Williamsburg and Queens waterfront, even along the fetid Gowanus Canal, which the administration pushed to rezone. The mayor saw no reason to change course.

“People like to live in low-lying areas on the beach, it’s attractive,” Mayor Bloomberg said. “People pay more, generally, to be closer to the water even though you could argue they should pay less because it’s more dangerous. But people are willing to run the risk.”
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