But even the magnates must eventually obey the market s law of gravity. Some ambitious plans soar into New York s craggy skyline and some remain holes in the rocky earth. Some legacies transcend generations and some get swept away in a landslide of red-dot specials and red ink. Even Mr. Davis a real estate lawyer, former parks commissioner and chairman of Jazz at Lincoln Center before he became president of Lincoln Center might have a tough time raising cash and keeping his players on the beat. You look at it and see railyards and car-repair shops.
Planners look at it and see the last frontier.
The Jets might jump there from the Meadowlands. Madison Square Garden may hop west, to link with a new 2012 Olympics spawned sporting complex. The garment district, meanwhile, is being converted to office space, making Manhattan Borough President C. Virginia Fields and Senator Chuck Schumer s Group of 35 frenzied to develop a master plan. But Vornado and Brookfield may beat the pols to the punch. This year he got to, participating in The Times search for an architect for its new Eighth Avenue headquarters.