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West Side StadiumThe West Side Stadium (also known as the New York Sports and Convention Center) is a proposed football stadium (also serving other purposes including a mall) to be built on a platform over the rail yards on the West Side of Manhattan in New York City as a new home for the New York Jets, currently based at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The stadium has been promoted by New York Governor George Pataki, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Congressman Charles Rangel as part of a larger project to revitalize the underdeveloped area, including an expansion of the Jacob Javits Convention Center and an extension of the 7-Flushing Line of the New York City Subway. It has been opposed by most of the elected officials representing the area. Supporters say it is the centerpiece of the city's bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics. If it is built, the stadium has been scheduled to host the National Football League championship game in 2010, Super Bowl XLIV. Controversy The stadium has proven highly controversial because it is a major construction project that would require public financing. Though many still support the larger West Side development program, opponents question the economic benefit of a stadium which will spend much of its time unused. Opponents feel that the budget could be better spent on necessities, like police and fire facilities. Supporters of the stadium say the cost to the city (over $1 billion) is an investment and will create thousands of jobs and billions in commercial revenue for the area, perhaps leading to increased tax revenue that can be used for vital infrastructure. Public opinions of the project vary. Many Jets fans want the stadium built, no matter what the cost. Some citizens of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut are in favor of the stadium because they want the 2012 Summer Olympics to be held in New York City. In order to host the Olympics, cities typically must build modern stadiums and prove to the International Olympic Committee that they have the resources to support the Olympics. However, many residents do not want the hassle, traffic congestion, and resource drain that the Olympics would bring to the already-overcrowded city. Some New York Giants fans oppose the stadium solely because they dislike the rival Jets. The stadium has been notably opposed by Cablevision, the sixth-largest cable television company in the United States and the owner of Madison Square Garden, the New York Knicks and New York Rangers teams that play there, and the MSG Network which shows most of their games. A major new Manhattan sports venue could threaten Cablevision's influence over sports and sports media in New York City. The controversy has spawned an unusual political ad war on local television, with rival campaigns financed by the owners of the Jets and Cablevision. Proponents of the stadium say that the opposition has run deceptive television and radio ads claiming that a large multi-organizational coalition opposes the stadium, while many of these ads are funded by Cablevision. Cablevision has said it is within its legal rights in refusing to run advertisements supportive of the stadium on its local cable systems, while running many ads criticizing it. The rail yards are owned by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), which originally negotiated privately with the Jets without seeking other possibly buyers. After Cablevision presented a rival proposal for West Side development without a stadium, public sentiment against an apparent no-bid contract for the Jets prompted the MTA to establish an open bidding process for the site. There were three bids, from the Jets, from Cablevision and from Transgas, a power company. On March 31, 2005, the MTA board voted to accept the bid from the Jets, even though the Cablevision bid included more cash up front. Attorneys for Cablevision announced that they would file suit to challenge the decision. Some have suggested Queens, which has large open spaces and is home to other sports facilities such as Shea Stadium, as a possible alternative site for a stadium, but the Jets have said no alternative site is possible. See also - Brooklyn Nets Arena, a proposal for a sports, business, and residential complex over the MTA's Atlantic Yards
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