Gov. George Pataki called for “bold and daring and swift” action as he laid out an aggressive timetable for rebuilding Lower Manhattan.

Responding to growing criticism that the redevelopment campaign was moving too slowly, the governor last month outlined $50 million in projects that he wants implemented within the next year to improve the quality of life Downtown. Downtown community leaders and residents mostly applauded the governor’s wide range of promised improvements, which incorporated proposals from the mayor, local elected officials and the community board. But elements of the speech elicited criticism, particularly the plan to build a West Street tunnel. The short-term initiatives, which the governor is asking the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation to fund and coordinate, include:

Up to $3 million to create a home for the Millennium High School at 75 Broad St. by September (see story, page 7). A new pedestrian bridge over West Street at Vesey Street, and improvements to the Liberty Street bridge, which should be completed by the time the temporary PATH station opens at the end of this year. A new Greenmarket in the park at Liberty Street and Broadway, to open this summer. A mural depicting Daniel Libeskind’s 1,776-foot “Freedom Tower” to replace the black shroud over the Deutsche Bank building at 130 Liberty St., also by the end of the year. $10 million in improvements to parks and open spaces, although both the governor’s office and the LMDC said details and locations were not yet decided. $4 million for a Downtown Alliance program to beautify lower Broadway. Improving the appearance of the heavily barricaded Financial District and allowing greater freedom of movement for pedestrians The governor also said that by the end of 2006, the permanent PATH terminal will open, and the spire on Libeskind’s tower will grace the skyline. In 2007, the transit center at Fulton Street and Broadway will open, along with the West Street tunnel between Liberty and Vesey streets, part of West Street’s transformation into a grand promenade. Pataki said renovations of the South Ferry subway station and rail links to New York’s airports must also move forward quickly. New ferry service from Lower Manhattan to LaGuardia and Kennedy airports will begin while the rail links are being planned, the governor announced. The LaGuardia ferry, which he said would cut the trip to under 40 minutes, should be in place by late next year, and the JFK ferry by 2005. The improvements will make Lower Manhattan a more attractive place to live, work and visit, Pataki said. The governor also announced programs to help small businesses Downtown, including a $7 million “I Love New York” campaign to boost tourism and a discount card for local stores and restaurants. Local elected officials and community leaders said they were pleased by the governor’s support for Downtown improvements, especially those that can be implemented quickly, but pointed out that they had advocated many of these initiatives for months. The governor sparked controversy with his unqualified support for submerging West Street, next to the Trade Center site, as part of the creation of a grand promenade. The tunnel “will divert loud, fast-moving highway traffic underground to protect the dignity of the memorial, while also providing an elegant welcome at the front door of the World Financial Center,” Pataki said. Rebuilding officials and city administration had previously said that no decision had been made about the tunnel proposal, which has been strongly opposed by some Battery Park City residents. “The governor can put it in his speech, but we will be here long after he’s gone and we’re not going to let him destroy our neighborhood,” said John Dellaportas, who heads a residents’ group that has lobbied against the tunnel. Critics fear a long period of construction and disruption and say a tunnel will cause traffic problems. “The governor had a lot of great ideas,” Dellaportas added. “But this is the one little bug and that bug will be stepped on.” Councilman Alan Gerson sharply criticized Pataki for apparently making a preemptive decision and called for further review. “He can’t talk about a public process and then announce a fait accompli without meaningful involvement by the community and local elected officials,” Gerson said. “I’m concerned where the money will come from,” said Madelyn Wils, chair of Community Board 1. “It would have been a good idea to wait before a decision was made to see if it’s really necessary.” But Nancy Poderycki, an LMDC spokeswoman, said that the short tunnel “has emerged as a preference” and “wouldn’t be such a long-term project that it would be disruptive for people who live and work in that area.” In his speech, the governor cautioned critics of his plan: “It leaves no room for error or delay, for parochial concerns or unnecessary legal battles.”