By Heather Grossmann
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — Mayor Michael Bloomberg is suing Comptroller and former mayoral race rival William Thompson over his refusal to act on a contract that would renovate and expand the Brooklyn House of Detention.
Thompson, who lost to Bloomberg by less than five points in November’s mayoral election, has blocked the $34 million contract three times already.
“This boondoggle has been a disaster since day one,” the comptroller said in a Nov. 19 statement. “The money the city wants to spend on this contract would be far better used as a means to reduce class sizes and build more schools.”
Thompson rejected the contract for the first time back in February because the project’s cost had apparently doubled without explanation.
“I will not register this contract as directed, because the people of New York City do not deserve to have their tax dollars wasted on an unnecessary project,” Thompson said.
Thompson was previously involved in a lawsuit to stop the Brooklyn House of Detention from opening at all. That suit failed.
“We had hoped that the Comptroller's personal disagreement with Administration policy regarding the project would not cause him to ignore his statutory obligation to register the contract," said Michael A. Cardozo, corporation counsel for the New York City Law Department, via a statement. "Unfortunately, that is not the case.”
