At its public board meeting May 16 in New York, the board of the Gateway Development Commission, acting on the recommendation of the governors of New Jersey and New York, moved forward with the hiring of new CEO Kris Kolluri.
Earlier this month, Kolluri was nominated to lead the Commission by Govs. Phil Murphy and Kathy Hochul.
The meeting was the first held in-person since the beginning of the pandemic. Commissioners were also provided with an update on the Hudson Tunnel Project, which staff members highlighted as significant developments.
At its public board meeting May 16 in New York, the board of the Gateway Development Commission, acting on the recommendation of the governors of New Jersey and New York, moved forward with the hiring of new CEO Kris Kolluri. – AARON HOUSTON
In a joint reaction, New Jersey Co-Chair of the Commission Balpreet Grewal-Virk, New York Co-Chair of the Commission Steven Cohen and Amtrak representative and Vice Chair of the Commission Anthony Coscia said: “We’re very gratified at the progress the Hudson Tunnel Project has made recently and moving forward with a public process to hire a qualified experienced leader in Kris Kolluri is another important step forward. Once on board, GDC’s CEO will spend every day making sure the project happens, and we finally deliver 21st Century rail infrastructure into, out of and through New York. We look forward to reaching a mutually beneficial agreement with Mr. Kolluri, and getting the Hudson Tunnel fully funded and under full construction.”
Among the Hudson Tunnel Project developments presented to the Commissioners were the improved rating for the work, which qualifies it for federal funding; completing the regulatory requirements and permitting necessary to undertake full construction; and the first direct federal funding allocation in the $100 million that was included for the project in the president’s Fiscal Year 2023 Budget.
“Moving the Gateway Program, and specifically the Hudson Tunnel Project, forward is critically important for our region, and I am confident that Kris Kolluri’s leadership will help us realize these much-needed projects,” said Murphy in a statement announcing Kolluri’s nomination. “Kris has years of infrastructure management and operations experience, as well as years of government experience, that will be vital as we continue working with our federal partners to get the Gateway Program fully funded and completed. I thank Governor Hochul for her partnership in selecting a nominee who will help advance these critical projects.”
