Madison Square Garden and other local sports stadiums and arenas should pay more taxes to help the city through its COVID-19 recovery, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Monday. “Back when I was public advocate I was talking about the fact that Madison Square Garden should be paying more in taxes,” said de Blasio, speaking of the position he held from 2010 through 2013 before becoming mayor. De Blasio was also asked about a second recent letter from Cary Goodman, head of the local Business Improvement District near Yankee Stadium. Goodman proposed requiring the Yankees to pay the same as local businesses — between $60 to $120 per square foot or $100 million a year for the stadium’s 1.3 million square feet. But Smith said the team has already been working to help the local community recover from the pandemic.

Source: The Local September 14, 2020 18:30 UTC