Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced today that the City of New York would pay just $7.9 million in expenses for successfully hosting the Republican National Convention, a much lower figure than the $27 million first projected in the 2003 Site City Agreement with the Republican National Committee.  Mayor Bloomberg also announced that NYC Host Committee 2004 projects a budget surplus of approximately $4 million that will be donated to the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City.  The Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City raises money to help improve the quality of life for City residents.  In addition to supporting the work of many City agencies including Education, Parks, Health, and Cultural Affairs, the Fund also raises money for events such as the City's annual September 11th Commemoration and projects like the Jackie Robinson-Pee Wee Reese statue in Brooklyn.  The Host Committee's surplus is in addition to the Committee's earlier donation of nearly $5 million in computers, telephones, chairs, office furniture, art and office supplies, energy efficient cars, and other items to various City agencies, and City-based charities. The Host Committee discloses today its receipts and expenses in a filing with the Federal Election Commission.  Attached are the summary sheets from the Host Committee's FEC report of receipts and expenses.   The Host Committee's filing, 2,312 pages, represents the Committee's 2 ½ years of work and can be retrieved at www.fec.gov.

"Both the $9 million in cash and materials donated to the City and the net economic gain to the City of $255 million, reaffirm a simple truth: successfully hosting the first-ever, privately-funded Convention has been good for New York," said Mayor Bloomberg.  "Hosting the Republican National Convention this past August was a win for the our economy and enhanced the City's image at home and abroad.  It once again puts New York in a class all by itself."  

 The final expenses of the Host Committee are projected to be $81.6 million; this includes both cash and in-kind contributions.  The final projected receipts are $85.6 million.  The $85.6 million in contributions to the Host Committee came from just over 15,500 individuals and corporations.  Cash contributions totaled $65.6 million for an average donation of approximately $4,200 - approximately 75% are residents and corporations in the New York tri-state area.  

"I want to congratulate Mayor Bloomberg and the people of New York for proving once again that New York City is a tremendous host city," Governor George E. Pataki said. "I have no doubt that our success in hosting the Republican National Convention showed people from around the country and the world that New York City is the place to host events. We will undoubtedly see long-term effects of the Convention because new events will come to New York, bringing new jobs and new revenue to strengthen our economy. I am so proud of the work of the Host Committee, the thousands of volunteers, and our New York City Police and Fire Departments for helping to make the Convention such a success."

"This past August New York City kept moving forward," said Host Committee Chairman Rudolph W. Giuliani. "The first ever Republican National Convention in New York City was an outstanding success, once again confirming New York City’s reputation as the capital of the world."

Convention Impact on Employment

The NYC Host Committee 2004 either directly or through contractors employed an estimated 2,500 people in construction and trade, food services, and professional and financial services - 95% of those employed reside in the New York City tri-state area.  The Freeman Companies, the organization responsible for construction within Madison Square Garden and the Farley Post Office Media Center, directly employed approximately 350 people from the tri-state area. 

"I can't think of a place, other than New York, that could have offered and delivered the variety of resources from facilities, skilled labor, materials, housing, security and so many other items that were required by such a high profile and demanding event as the RNC.  It was a complete team effort and the City of New York was certainly at the center," said The Freeman Companies Republican National Convention Project Director Greg Lane.  

Edlen Electrical, the organization primarily responsible for electrical service in Madison Square Garden and the Farley Post Office Media Center employed about 200 people from the New York area.  Other contractors and subcontractors working in the area of steel erectors, scaffolding, steel fabricator, and laborers working in Madison Square Garden employed nearly 100 people from the tri-state area.   

The Host Committee built a 45-ton, 400-foot long bridge to connect Madison Square Garden and the James A. Farley Post Office Building, the media center for the Convention and the future home of the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Station.  There were improvements made to 500,000 square feet of the Farley Building by installing 200 units of high-intense lighting; changing more than 1,000 lights; upgrading the building's HVAC; refurbishing 40 toilets; installing 530 feet of new walls; applying 500 gallons of paint and laying more than 5,000 yards of carpeting.  "All work was done with union labor: carpenters, plumbers, painters, electricians and, air condition repair crews - the men and women who continue to be the backbone of our City's economy," added Mayor Bloomberg.   

Cost of Delivering the 4-days of the 2004 Republican National Convention

In reporting its revenue and expenses, the Host Committee reveals that roughly 73% of its final budget or $59.8 million will fund the direct cost of the Republican Convention's four days - August 30th until September 2nd - including the Host Committee's Media Welcome Reception and the official Delegate Welcome, both events preceded the opening day of the Republican National Convention on Monday, August 30th.  The projected final cost of the Host Committee's Media Welcome Reception at the Time Warner Center is $1,543,000.   The projected final cost of the Host Committee's Delegate Welcome - A Salute to Broadway - is $1,046,000, largely the cost of buying 13,298 Broadway tickets. 

Administrative cost is a much smaller slice of the Host Committee's final budget totaling $12 million or 14.7% of the Host Committee's projected final budget. The final cost of pursuing both the Republican and Democratic National Conventions in 2002 will total $895,000.  The Host Committee projects its final cost for services associated with fundraising to be $4.7 million.  Real estate, construction, event design and transportation expense account for 40% of the Committee's $81.6 million of expenditures or $32.5 million

Volunteer Recruitment

The Host Committee recruited over 20,000 volunteers for the convention through its website www.nyc2004.org at a final projected budget cost of $1.5 million.  The Committee's database has been donated to the City's Volunteer Center more than doubling the number of volunteers on file.  To date 13,000 convention volunteers have said they would be willing to volunteer again in the future.  The Volunteer Center sends out a monthly newsletter and provides volunteer opportunities for New Yorkers and provides nonprofit organizations in New York City the opportunity to post their volunteer needs and publicize the services provided by their organizations.

"For the last two years, I and my administration have worked to enlist the support of New Yorkers from every walk of life including the more than 20,000 volunteers who gave their energy and time so that New York might host the biggest and best political convention ever," said Mayor Bloomberg.  "As much as our work was about successfully bringing about the 2004 Republican National Convention, the Host Committee, the 20,000 volunteers and the thousands of contributors large and small were responsible for laying the foundation for New York's future - a future of unparalleled opportunity.   From Country music and Olympic sports to Jets football and Fashion Week and the Latin Grammy's, New York will be raising its world-class status to an even higher degree like never before.  And we are going to do it while putting New Yorkers to work and improving the strength and vitality of our economy."   

"New York City crafted a flawless game plan for the recent Republican National Convention that succeeded immensely, and they are doing the same for us as we bring Country Music's Biggest Night to the World's Biggest Stage," said Country Music Association Associate Executive Director Tammy Genovese.