NEW YORK, NY December 17, 2004 —Last night, hundreds of New Yorkers packed a huge hearing room in the basement of the Javits convention center. The occasion was the one and only official hearing on whether New York state should approve a deal to build a football stadium on the far west side of Manhattan. As WNYC’s Andrea Bernstein reports, emotions ran high.

Singers: Stadiums, stadiums, New York should not pay. We need more for New York’s poor, that’s what we’ve come to say-ay!

Even before the hearings officially began, there were protests galore, from stadium opponents, union members wearing Jets stadium now tee-shirts, and a group of carolers from hell’s kitchen. And when the hearings were called to order, the ruckus only got louder. New York Economic Development Chair Charles Gargano tried to lay out the state’s position in favor of the stadium.

Gargano This project is not and I repeat is not a public subsidy of a private venture.

Woman: yes it is!

Gargano: It is an investment by the city and state of New York in its future.

Voice: We don't need!

Chairman Gargano is more apt to be seen presiding at the sort of ribbon cutting where glowing guests smile and clap. Last evening, the usually smooth economic czar was put to the test.

Gargano: s you know, the New York convention and sports center is a collaborative initiative between the city and state.

Crowd: We want a vote! We want a vote!

The crowd demanded a vote, but there will be no public vote, because the stadium would be funded through authorities, not the regular city budget. And the authorities are run by appointed, not elected officials. State official Christine Glassner struggled to explain the proposal.

Glassner: The initial term of the lease will be 49 years, and the Jets will have the option to extend the term for up to 99 years in the aggregate,

Crowd: no boo!

The crowd wasn’t much happier with the other terms of the deal: The state and city would borrow $600 million to pay for a platform over the rail yards and roof for the stadium. The jets would contribute $800 million to the project – but half of that will come from tax free bonds paid back with what would otherwise be the Jets real estate taxes. Scott stringer, an assembly member from the upper west side, said his constituents repeatedly asked him for more schools, more affordable housing, and more jobs

Stringer: but nobody and I mean nobody who lives in this community that we represent has ever come up to me and said we need a stadium on manhattan’s upper west side!

There was a great deal of discussion about moving the stadium to Queens, instead, but supporters of the 2012 Olympics and Christine Nicholas, head of New York’s tourism agency, said that simply wasn't feasible.

Nicholas: Iif you build a stadium in queens I can guarantee it will not do one thing for the travel and tourism business it will not do one thing for queens, and what it will do for midtown -- it’s okay -- I want to watch the apprentice let's get this going.

There were supporters of the stadium at the hearing. Union members, who came and left in unison, repeatedly interrupted testimony to shout, build it now! And several minority legislators, like Assemblymember Keith Wright of Harlem, came to the stadium’s defense.

Wright: The New York Sports and Convention Center will be especially beneficial to neighborhoods of color in New York who have a 50 percent unemployment rate.

Chairman Gargano left 38 minutes into the four hour hearing. There were no other economic development agency board members present for this hearing. Gargano’s spokesman said staff members would gather the comments and give them to the board. But stadium opponents have little faith. As reporters left the hearing, they were handed rubber stamps. The stamps, as if from the economic development agency, read "$1 billion in taxpayer money? No vote by any elected officials? Fine with us!" The public comment period lasts 30 more days, and a vote by the board could come by the third week in January. For WNYC, I'm Andrea Bernstein.