The city’s drive for a West Side stadium is set to gain some serious yardage Tuesday as the Empire State Development Corp. meets to give final approval to the project, The Post has learned.
Barring last-minute surprises, the nine-member ESDC board of directors will unanimously give its blessing to the controversial plan and send it to the Port Authority Control Board for final clearance.
The ESDC vote is widely seen as a rubber stamp, as its board is appointed by pro-stadium Gov. Pataki.
But once the proposal clears ESDC, Pataki, Mayor Bloomberg and other pro-stadium officials will have nearly three months to convince PACB members Sheldon Silver and Joseph Bruno to approve the project before the International Olympic Committee decides on July 5 which city will host the 2012 Olympics. (p. 19 Metro)