Newsday from New York, New York • 51

sw- wax v.w" SR HvY 1 -t I i i v- 32 w.r-fcyr, i. Times to Build Plant in Queens With City Help NomleDIAKnui Ballots Impounded Nassau County Police Officer John Geiger guards impounded ballots at the Nassau County Board of Elections in Mineola, yesterday because of dose races for county derk and State Supreme Court Most of the impounded ballots were from absentee voters. By Bob Liff STAFF WRITES Primed with $29 million in city incentives, The New York Times said yesterday it will build a 280-million color printing plant in College Point, Queens, to replace its antiquated black-and-white presses on Manhattans West 43rd Street We were looking for land in New York City for over a decade that didnt glow or sink, Times publisher Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr. said of the decision to build the 360, 000-square-foot plant in the city-owned College Point Corporate Park. While Mayor David N.

Dinkins applauded the Times decision not to shift manufacturing jobs to New Jersey, Queens Borough President Claire Shul-man was happy the plant will replace a temporary automobile impound yard next to the Whitestone Espressway that for 35 years has been an eyesore. Ive been trying to get rid of those cars for 10 years, Shulman said. Sulzberger Jr. and his father, Times chairman Arthur Ochs Sulzberger said the three-year construction could begin as early as 1994. Sulzberger Jr.

said he did not know how many jobs will be shifted from the older midtown presses to the automated Queens plant. Sulzberger Jr. said the Times will shift its printing of advance Sundqy sections from Carlstadt, to a recently-completed $450-million plant in nearby Edison. The Times has delayed opening the Edison plant until it finishes negotiating union contracts. Weekday sections now printed in Manhattan will be shifted to Queens when the plant is completed.

Sulzberger said the Queens site can accommodate a state-of-the-art single-floor facility to replace the three-floor operation in the Times midtown headquarters. The facility could be enlarged to more than 700,000 square feet, the Times said. The $29 million city package of incentives assumes the Times will install six presses in Queens, adjusting for more or fewer presses. Incentives, mostly standard benefits offered to keep companies in the city, include $630,000 per year in low-cost power, $1.1 million in employee relocation assistance, $4.8 million in sales tax savings on purchase of construction materials, $5 million in property tax breaks and a $4.7 million grant to upgrade Boil. State Power Authority chairman Richard Flynn said the energy savings, which could total $13.3 million, can be applied to the Times Manhattan headquarters starting next May, with the savings to be reimbursed if the plant is not built.

Port Authority Official Hired Wifes Company Renewed Hopes For News Union By Elizabeth Sanger STAFF WRITER The Daily Nears typographers union yesterday received renewed hope in its effort to save 167 composing room jobs at the bankrupt tabloid. A federal judge granted its request that its appeal be hurried, and told the News to give the union two days notice before a planned sale goes through to Mortimer Zuckerman. However, U.S. District Court Judge Milton Pollack denied New York Typographical Union No. 6's request for a stay of the sale, which observers believed was a longshot.

But by receiving two days warning before the sale is to dose, the union then could ask again for a Btay, said Andrew Irving, a lawyer for the union. We would have preferred a stay, but at least were on track, Local 6 president James Grottola said after the hearing. The union is appealing two rulings by Bankruptey Judge Tina Brozman: approving the sale to Zuckerman and throwing out its contract, which provided lifetime job guarantees, at a cost of $10 million a year. Zuckerman threatened not to buy the paper if he had to hire the typographers for life. The union is arguing that Zuckerman didnt treat it fairly compared to the other News unions and didnt negotiate in good feith.

Pollack set legal arguments on the unions appeals for Nov. 23, and a decision could come any time thereafter. The case was assigned to Judge Lawrence McKenna. Lawrence Gottesman, a lawyer for the News, said in court that the soonest the sale could dose would be Nov. 20.

Fred Dresner, Zuckermans partner, said this week they hope to dose within six weeks. If the sale doesn't dose by Dec. 31, Zuckerman has the right to walk away. Irving said if the union wins the appeal after the sale closes, a victory would be worth little or nothing because in bankruptcy undoing a sale becomes a very difficult bit of business. He said the News had refused to expedite and combine the appeals, but under prodding from Pollack, it agreed to do so.

Grottola said Local 6 has had no discussions with Zuckerman since he was approved to buy the paper. If theres no agreement, the union could be told en masse everybodys out, or he may attempt to hire some on selective basis. I dont know, Grottola said. r-i- AUTHORITY from Page 5 LaRocco, who has since left the authority, were remiss in not moving to halt Kaus dealings with Loring. They should have advised him to seek out an agency attorney, Schwalb said.

LaRocco at the time chaired the agencys ethics board. Kau has refused to rfiannw the matter directly, but provided information to authority spokesmen. Garda, who now works in the executive directors office, has failed to return phone call- LaRocco, now a private consultant, was unavailable. New York Newsday reported last week that one of Kaus former deputies, John Urinyi, is being fired for refusing to cooperate with a New York State Organized Crime Task Force probe of mob involvement in authority projects. Urinyi has denied any wrongdoing.

In the 1960s, Loring Associates helped to build the World Trade Center and ever since has received electrical work at the complex, ranging from fixing elevator controls to restroom lighting: The authority also employs its own electricians at the World Trade Center. The authoritys policy on contracts is to strive for competitive bidding unless there are special circumstances. Loring was one of five construction-related companies chosen to continue receiving work without having to bid. Authority staff in memos justifying the arrangement said the firms had unique and specialized knowledge, Two of the five companies, an architect and a designer, were dropped last year from the deal, while another architect was replaced with a list of firms that would compete for work. But Loring and another firm retained their exclusive status.

In a memo dated Jan. 24, 1990, Kau advised Garcia that his wife, Momilani Kau, was hired by Loring as his executive assistant in Ortober, 1988. Kau said his wife did not participate in business or contractural decisions. According to Schwalb, Garcia in turn notified LaRocco. Neither acted, Schwalb said, and Kau proceeded to deal with Loring.

Spurred by the tipster, the authority in March, 1991, required Kau to disclose financial and other information relating to the Loring contracts and his wifeB employment. I know of no situation that would have required me to exercise judgment differently if my spouse was not in the employ of JRLA, Kau wrote to an agency lawyer on April 4, 1991. Loring said Kau had signed eveiy document relating to his authority contracts, and that he had had extensive personal contact with Kau. He would come in to pick up his wife, Loring said. Loring said he did not consider Kaus situation as a conflict of interest or problem of any sort Absolutely not.

Hes a very straight-laced guy, Loring said. In September, 1991, Kau returned to the authoritys Aviation Department as an assistant to Aviation Director David Plavin. His wife remains with Lining, fShe could not be reached for comment. I'jUiW io A fit iJ U'd i'll I I Trfji fwj im bvAbiatniAJDV AT A 4 fc sV i M4 UjKX 1 f4tV.T A U-iliCJlfi a.