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"This is a story about the largest New York City contract ever involving the private operation of a municipal park facility. Golf legend Jack Nicklaus and his development partners are attempting to build New York City's first luxury golf course on top of an old landfill at Ferry Point Park in the Bronx, a site that has had a long history of environmental troubles. The developers are operating a new private landfill at the city park site, collecting construction and demolition debris worth tens of millions of dollars -- money that is helping finance construction of the golf course. After dumping began, levels of gases at times reached near-explosive levels, requiring emergency remediation work to protect residents of a nearby public housing project. Under the franchise agreement, the developers contend, the city of New York is liable for any further costs of environmental clean-up. The golf course project, a favorite of former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, got rammed through city government without getting reviews and approvals required by city law."