Mayor Bloomberg is suing his former rival, City Comptroller Bill Thompson, for blocking his plan to re-open a Brooklyn jail. Thompson has refused to sign off on a $34-million contract to renovate the Brooklyn House of Detention, a project he calls flawed, wasteful, and a "product of favoritism."

But Jonathan Becker, a lawyer for the city, says the contract does not mean the detention center will necessarily expand; it's simply to get a professional assessment of whether the plan is feasible.

BECKER: This contract is going to lay the groundwork for exactly that sort of investigation that those who said there should be this environmental review.

REPORTER: The mayor says the detention center will relieve over-burdened facilities at Rikers Island. Lawyers say if newly-elected comptroller John Liu signs the contract when he takes office next month, the suit would be moot.