WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From Westchester County Board of Legislators. February 11, 2010 UPDATED 12:25 P.M. E.S.T.: Westchester County Board of Legislators Chairman Ken Jenkins announcement that Starwood Hotels planned move to Stamford may not go forward was apparently optimistic. His news release appears based on an erroneous article from The Wall Street Journal.

However, the optimism of Mr. Jenkins was apparently based on a Wall Street Journal report on Monday reporting that federal stimulus funds could not be used to influence businesses to move to other states, according to Jim Zebora, Business Editor of The Stamford Advocate, who spoke with WPCNR this morning. 

Zebora told WPCNR this morning that the Wall Street Journal has since corrected the story. Zebora explained that Connecticut stimulus funds are going into the southend Stamford project. However, Starwood is planning to move into Harbor Yard which is next to the southend development, and therefore not affected. Zaborah said the move is unaffected. Starwood Hotels has not commented on the report, though contacted by WPCNR

Westchester County Board of Legislators Chairman Ken Jenkins (D-Yonkers) Thursday issued the following statement after learning that Starwood Hotel's relocation to Connecticut, which was contingent on a $90 million economic incentive package, may be halted. He did not explain.

Starwood, which operates 982 hotels in nearly 100 countries under nine brands, announced in November that it was moving its headquarters in White Plains and 800 jobs in 2012 to Stamford.

“Given the new circumstances involving the Starwoods deal, I would call upon government -- at all levels -- and representatives of our business community to work together towards creating an incentive package that would convince Starwoods to remain in Westchester County.”

“For many years, Westchester has played a prominent role in job retention and economic development through effective relationships with our state and local leaders, private industry and public partners.  Governor Paterson’s proposed Excelsior Jobs Program, along with his office of Economic Development, may also provide the financial support needed to collaborate on infrastructure and joint development projects, which could end up being far less expensive than playing games with taxpayer dollars.”