Corporate Welfare - Alive in NYC

When The Tank was torn down, the city also lost the 199-seat Fairbanks Theater, the 299-seat Houseman, and 6 smaller studio theaters.

But don't worry, developers are encouraged in this city to support theater. Right?

The behemoth developer Related is taking advantage of the "theater bonus" (which allows it to build taller and multiply profits in return for creating theater space) NOT be encouraging emerging artists, non-commercial work or creative risk-taking...but by building a home for the global, successful and extraordinarily wealthy Cirque du Soleil. The Times covered it, as did local site Curbed.

"Taking advantage" is exactly what Related is doing -- of the City, the bonus and the residents of Hell's Kitchen.

As critics say in The Times: this is just greed.

And for both Related and Cirque, it's offensive corporate welfare.

But they are all friends of Dan Doctoroff, Mayor Mike's dutiful deputy. So I'm not surprised.