A Walk in the Park: John H. Alschuler

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

ML Soccer Biggest Lobbyist In 2012 - High Line Chair's Co Big Winner

Major League Soccer shelled out nearly $1.7 million on lobbying city officials in 2012, the most of any company in the city, according to a new city report. The league had contracts with five separate lobbying firms to help build a stadium in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park.

Most of the MLS’s staggering lobbying fees went to HR&A Associates, a politically connected firm staffed with many ex-city officials. MLS paid nearly $1.1 million to HR&A Associates run by the Friends Of the High Line board Chair John H. Alschuler, (above) That figure is up from $ 920, 822 paid through parts of December. HR&A Chairman John H. Alschuler, Jr. and Cary Hirschstein (below) a principle in the firm were front and center at back-to-back meetings in December representing Major League Soccer in its continued attempt to seize 13 acres in Flushing Meadows Corona Park to build a 35,000 seat stadium and concert venue.

HR&A also held the distinction of being the second highest in compensation paid to one Lobbying firm in lobbying contacts in 2012.

The $1.7 million spent in total on lobbying however represent only a portion of the funds being spent by MLS and do not account for many expenses including a host of advisors and consultants, including Risa Heller - of Chuck Schumer, and Anthony Weiner scandal spokeswoman fame. Her former emplyeer - Global Strategy Group raked in $307,800.

TOP CLIENTS OF 2012 BY COMPENSATION PAID TO ALL LOBBYING FIRMS

Major League Soccer Paid:

Beaudoin & Company LLC - $ 37, 500 (up from $ 22, 500 in December year-to date)

Bolton St. Johns, LLC - $ 67, 500 (up from $ 52,500 in December year-to date)

Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson, LLP - $ 190,804 (up from $ 133,968 in December year-to date)

Global Strategy Group - $ 307, 800 (up from $ 247, 800 in December year-to date)

HR&A Advisors, INC - $ 1.090, 612.50 (up from $ 920, 822 in December year-to date)

Total: $ 1,694,216.50 (up from $ 1.5 million in December year-to date)

Money Well Spent? In an effort to try and contain the mounting community opposition to the building of the stadium and concert venue last week MLS's commissioner Don Graber tried to put public pressure on the City by threatening to make a deal soon or else they would go elsewhere - a common tactic used by corporations trying extract government subsidies.

In November Mr. Graber famiously said the league was “at the finish line” in negotiations with the city. However last week he said, "The deal is not near final that would provide us with the ability to have a team that would be successful."

- Geoffrey Croft

Lobbying Data Source: Office of the City Clerk Clerk of the Council Lobbying Bureau Annual Report (p. 25 etc.)

City-Wide/ Queens

Major League Soccer’s push to build a new stadium in Queens has boosted it to the top of the list of big spenders on lobbying in the city, new data show.

MLS shelled out $1.7 million on lobbying city officials in 2012, the most of any company, according to a new city report. The league had contracts with five separate lobbying firms.

Major League Soccer is looking to build a $300 million stadium in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park - a controversial move that needs city approval, according to the New York Daily News.

Mayor Bloomberg supports the plan, but some pols and local residents oppose it because of the 13 acres of parkland the 25,000 seat stadium would take up.

Major League Soccer paid $1.1 million to HR&A Advisors, $307,800 to the Global Strategy Group, $190,804 to Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP, $67,500 to Bolton-St. Johns, and $37,500 to Beaudoin & Company.

MLS said most of the money did not go to pressuring city officials.

"The majority of this money went to HR&A advisors, the real estate advisors dealing with every technical aspect of developing the stadium including dealing with architects, engineers and financials. They are not lobbyists, but out of an abundance of caution, they registered because they are occasionally in meetings where lobbying takes place. Similarly, Fried Frank is our real estate lawyers, who registered for the same reason,” said spokeswoman Risa Heller.

But critics hit the payments. "That's just outrageous," said Geoffrey Croft of New York City Parks Advocates.

"Clearly they are influencing the process with our elected officials, and they're getting paid a heck of a lot of money to do it."

Next up after MLS was Albee Development LLC, which spent $1.1 million on lobbying firms, and the South Street Seaport Limited Partnership, which spent $604,738.

Also on the top ten list were Cornell, which landed a city deal to build a “genius school” on Roosevelt Island and spent $520,690 on lobbying, and Madison Square Garden, which spent $522,721.

All told, lobbying firms raked in $62.2 million last year to influence lawmakers and officials, up from $53.3 million the year before.

Kasirer Consulting LLC took in the most dough of any individual firm, with $6.1 million

New York Daily News - March 5, 2013 - By Erin Durkin

ML Soccer Spends $1.5M In Lobbying So Far For New

Stadium - HR&A Associates Big Winner

A Walk In The Park - December 15, 2013 - By Geoffrey Croft

Monday, December 10, 2012

ML Soccer Spends $1.5M In Lobbying So Far For New Stadium-HR&A Associates Big Winner

Most of the MLS’s staggering $1.5 paid in lobbying fees since March — $920,822 — went to HR&A Associates, a politically connected firm staffed with many ex-city officials. HR&A Chairman John H. Alschuler, Jr., (above) and Cary Hirschstein a principle in the firm (below) were front and center at back-to-back meetings last week representing Major League Soccer in its continued attempt to seize 13 acres in Flushing Meadows Corona Park to build a 35,000 seat stadium and concert venue.

Alschuler spoke at MLS's rally on Tuesday and Hirschstein the previous night at the Queens County Board.

Those funds however represent only a portion of the money being spent by MLS and do not account for many expenses including a host of advisors and consultants.

Ironically Mr. Alschuler, Jr., is also the Board Chair of the Friends of the High Line.

Lobbyist

Beaudoin & Company LLC - $ 22, 500

Bolton St. Johns, LLC - $ 52, 500

Dan Klores Communications, INC. D/B/A DKC Government Affairs - $ 72, 500

Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson, LLP - $ 133,968

Global Strategy Group - $ 247, 800

HR&A Advisors, INC - $ 920, 822

Major League Soccer, LLC - $ 37, 814

Total: $ 1, 487, 907.000

Source: New York State Joint Commission on Public Ethics - Lobby Online Filing System

Queens

The big winner in Major League Soccer is its lobbying team.

The league is trying so hard to get a new stadium in Queens, it has paid lobbyists $1.48 million since March to score points with officials in Albany and the city, according to the New York Post.

The spending spree to help secure government approvals for a planned $300 million, 25,000-seat stadium in Flushing Meadows Park is on pace to rival similar lobbying campaigns for Brooklyn’s Barclays Center and the failed West Side football stadium plan.

MLS honchos say fielding a brand-new franchise on the eastern end of the park is a top priority. They hope to break ground by 2014 and have a team playing there by 2016.

The project has divided the community.

Many soccer-starved immigrants support it, saying they don’t want to travel 30 miles to Harrison, NJ, to watch the MLS’s Red Bulls play. But activists say the park is already too commercialized considering it’s home to Citi Field, the National Tennis Center and potentially a mall which the Mets’ owners want to build.

“It’s a joke that [MLS] is spending money like drunken sailors for a project that has strong community opposition,” said Geoffrey Croft of New York City Park Advocates.

Most of the MLS’s lobbying fees — $920,822 — were dished out to HR&A Associates, a politically connected firm staffed with many ex-city officials.

Hundreds of community residents took to the streets yesterday in the rain to participate in the Take Back Our Park March to oppose three Bloomberg administration supported projects that would give away more than 50 acres of public parkland in Flushing Meadows Corona Park to private corporations, including the proposed soccer stadium. (Photo: Geoffrey Croft/NYC Park Advocates) Click on image to enlarge.

MLS spokeswoman Risa Heller downplayed HR&A’s contract, saying the firm works mostly as “real-estate advisers” and only “occasionally” as lobbyists.

Although the MLS plan is supported by Mayor Bloomberg, it still needs city and state approval because the project would take up 10 to 13 acres of city parkland that, by state law, must be replaced elsewhere. Complicating the process is that the project footprint includes two worn-out public soccer fields the city is in the process of replacing as part of a $2.8 million project.

City officials declined comment when asked if it is fiscally sound to spend tax dollars on new fields that could be ripped up months later to pave the way for a stadium.

However, MLS president Mark Abbott said the league plans to “invest tens of millions of dollars” in improvements for the park, including replacing both fields and renovating others.

Supporters like Mark Montaya, 34, of Flushing, say the “project isn’t just about bringing pro soccer to Queens, it’s about improving public soccer fields in the heart of a community that loves the soccer.”

The league says it will build the stadium without government subsidies, but sources say MLS is seeking a 35-year, a $1-a-year deal with the city that includes no property taxes or revenue-sharing.

Julie Wood, a Bloomberg spokeswoman, said the mayor supports the project because it “would not only be welcome news for local fans — it would mean thousands of jobs and boost the city’s economy.”