CHART TWO:
The "Topics" for the City’s Top 14 Lobby Interests of 1999

Just what do all those lobby interests spend their money on? We’ve provided the answers here for the 14 who spent the most in 1999. They make up our list of this year’s Big Apple’s Big Spenders - by racking-up more than $100,000 in lobbying expenses each. This chart lists what they lobbied on, in their lobbyists own words.

Most people associate lobbying with pending legislation and budgetary decisions. However, while legislative issues concerning smoking, ATM surcharges, and building sprinklers made it on to our list of issues of concern to the city’s highest spending lobbyists, our review shows that it is real estate & land use concerns which dominate. Ten of the top 14 spent at least a portion, if not all, of their lobbying expenses on proposed development & construction projects, zoning matters and other land use issues.

The list of topics and phrasing of the descriptions provided below is taken directly from the quarterly reports filed by lobbyists with the City Clerk.

1 Blumenfeld Development Group, Ltd.      $265,916
Development Of Washburn Wire Site, 116th Street - 119th Street, Manhattan • East River Plaza • City Action On Zoning Changes • Dev. Of Queens Site (Bulova Watch Site) • Dev. Of Staten Island Project (Charleston Site) • Response To Request For Proposal For Seward Park Urban Renewal Area • Proposed Development Of Kent Ave. • Dev. Of City Owned Site On 125th Street • Request For Proposal For Dev. Of JFK Site • East Harlem Development Projects.

2 Forest City Ratner Cos/FCR Site C/G & 330 Jay St. Associates      $236,744
Zoning • Casino Gambling • Transfer Of Air Rights • Various Issues In Connection With Proposed Commercial And Retail Development Projects In Brooklyn, Queens And The Bronx Including 330 Jay Street And Atlantic Terminal • Lease To The City Of An Interest In Real Property And Application For Special Zoning Permits Re: Dev. Of A Building At 330 Jay Street, Brooklyn • 300 Jay Street • Dev. Of Steinway Street, Queens • Dev. Of Northern Blvd. Project • Dev. Of Site On Shore Parkway, Brooklyn • Dev. Of Forest Ave., Staten Island • Dev. Of Metropolitan Ave., Queens • Dev. Of MTA Site • Dev. Of Queens Plaza • Dev. Of Site In Springfield Gardens, Queens • Application For Modifications To Existing Special Permit For A Building On Site C/G, Metrotech, Brooklyn • Harlem Ctr. • Flatbush Ave. • Flatbush Gateway • 911 • Brown Brothers • Nine South • Courtroom 2000 • Seward Park • General FC Projects • 9/11 Metrotech • Stern’s Rego Park • Stern’s Opening • Broadway/Grand • Brooklyn Center • Harlem Center Announcement • Liberty Theater - 42nd Street • 42nd Street Project • Museum Of Jewish Heritage • Kaufman Studio • ICIP & REAP Legislation.

3 American Insurance Association     $225,000
All Issues Relating To The Insurance Industry.

4 New York University/NYU Medical Ctr./NYU School Of Dentistry     $181,219
NYU: Budgetary And Education Issues • Representation In Connection With The Demapping Of A Below Grade Volume Of A Mapped Street And Disposition Of Such Volume To The University • Representation In Connection With A Request To Modify The Design Of A Rooftop Playground Previously Approved By The City Planning Commission Pursuant To A Special Permit. oo NYU Medical Center: Budget Items Affecting NYU Medical Center oo NYU School Of Dentistry: Budgetary And Education Issues.

5 Greater New York Hospital Association     $170,456
City Budget Initiatives • Burn Plants • State Mandated Cross-Connection Control Requirements • Medicaire Assignments • Medicaid Managed Care • Hospital Reimbursement Issues • City Budget • State Budget • General Health Issues • Medicaid Eligibility • Home Care • Welfare Reform • Hospital & Nursing Home Waste • Disposal Issues • Funding For Aids Programs • TB Issues • EMS Issues.

6 Air Transport Association Of America & Air Transport Assoc.      $166,050
Port Authority Proposal To Construct A Rail System Above Van Wyck Expressway • Matters Relating To Light Rail Legislation.

7 Neighborhood Small Business Association     $165,125
Land Use.

8 Kaufman Astoria Studios $157,970
Approvals On Construction Of New Studio • Re: New Studio Construction Project • Incentives • ULURP • Land Use.

9 Home Depot     $135,128
Development Of Site On Northern Blvd. • Dev Of Site On Woodhaven Blvd. • Dev. Of Cropsey Ave., Brooklyn • Dev. In Springfield Gardens, Queens • Dev. Of Site In Ozone Park • RFP For Nostrand Ave., Brooklyn • Parking Issues For Potential Manhattan Development • Interpretation Of Building Code.

10 National Association Of Securities Dealers     $123,796
Relocation Incentives.

11 Muss Development Co     $121,021
Development Of Brighton Beach Housing • Dev. Issues On Jay Street • Expansion Of Hotel In Downtown Brooklyn • Tree Planting • Proposed Rezining Of A Portion Of Flushing, Queens • Proposed Staten Island Development • Renaissance Plaza Hotel & Office Complex • Approval Of Proposed Projects In Communities • Needed Approvals, Permits, Etc.

12 Hotel Association Of New York City, Inc.     $114,000
Issues Affecting The Hotel And Tourism Industry, Including Increased Funding For Tourism, Traffic Issues, Smoking Laws And Regulations • Restaurant Inspection Bill • Hotel Tax Collection Issue.

13 International Airport Center/S/LLC     $106,537
Disposition Of City-Owned Land Located At Rockaway Blvd., Ozone Park, Queens; Zoning Change; Demapping Park Land; Mapping Public Space; Mapping Rockaway Boulevard • Kennedy Airport Project • Land Use And Environmental Reviews Respecting Proposed Dev. On Rockaway Blvd.

14 New York City Partnership & Chamber Of Commerce     $101,803
Land Use • Finace, Budget And Taxes Policy • Commercial Rent Tax • Sprinklers Law • Press Issues • Local Sanctions Legislation • Construction Commission • Education Issues • Housing Policy Issues • Principal Tenure/School Facilities • Breakthrough For Learning • NYC Structure Center • Welfare To Work • Transportation Infrastructure Issues • City Budget • Business Investment Guarantee Program • Charter Schools • Infrastructure Issues • Joint Bidding Legislation • Hi-Tech Zones • Sub. Capital Tax And ATM • Brownfields.

Methodology: Information for this chart was taken from the quarterly reports for 1999 filed by registered lobbyists with the office of City Clerk. All listings of subject matter listed above are printed directly from these filings. We have not listed duplicate information for the same project. Unfortunately, the detail of information provided by each lobbyist varies greatly, this accounts for the range of information provided.

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