CITYWIDE

PORT AUTHORITY SOLICITS PROPOSALS FOR FERRY SERVICE TO JFK

There may soon be a quicker way to get to JFK. The Port Authority is soliciting proposals for a ferry service that would take passengers from Battery Park City to a dock at John F. Kennedy International Airport, an idea that would facilitate transportation to the major travel hub and, some say, help revitalize Lower Manhattan.

“Ferry service has been a critical part of rebuilding Lower Manhattan and making the area more accessible to workers, residents, and visitors,” Governor Pataki said in a statement yesterday. Proposals, which are due in November, may also include ferry stops in Far Rockaway. The governor also encouraged future ferry service to Yonkers and LaGuardia Airport.

“The increase in ferry service throughout the region has played a major role in attracting businesses and jobs back to Lower Manhattan,” said Port Authority Vice Chairman Anthony Coscia. “The role of ferries will be increasingly important as we continue to redevelop the World Trade Center site.”

– Special to the Sun

POST-SEPTEMBER 11 PROGRAM TO GET ADDITIONAL $4 MILLION

Reversing an earlier position, the Justice Department said yesterday it would provide $4 million to fund mental health counseling for New York City police officers and firefighters. The announcement comes just one week after the department denied a request by the city to support the program. That request asked for nearly $8 million in funds. The newly allotted federal funds will continue services started under Project Liberty, which began shortly after the September 11, 2001, attacks. Through the program, police and fire department employees can receive free counseling for mental health problems stemming from the attacks and their aftermath. Project Liberty is set to lose its funding late next month.

– Special to the Sun

BROOKLYN

STAPLES STORE TO BE BUILT ON EMPTY LOT IN CONEY ISLAND

A Staples store is being built on the site of a former garbage dump on the outskirts of Coney Island. The store, at the intersection of Cropsey Avenue and Hart Place near Coney Island Creek, will create 25 permanent jobs and 15 temporary construction jobs. Vista Realty Partners paid $325,000 for the city-owned lot, which was vacant, and $46,845 for an environmental cleanup. The Staples is expected to open within the next 12 months and will be across the street from a Linens N’ Things.

“This was a dilapidated lot plagued by illegal dumping,” said the president of the Economic Development Corporation, Andrew Alper. “The developer’s interest in the property reflects the city’s overall revitalization efforts in Coney Island.”