TEXT D Robert Congel, a
commercial real-estate developer who lives in upstate New York, has a plan to
"change the world." Convinced that it will "produce more benefit for humanity
than any one thing that private enterprise has ever done," he is raising $20
billion to make it happen. That’s 12 times the yearly budget of the United
Nations and more than 25 times Congel’s own net worth. What
Congel has in mind is an outsize and extremely unusual mega-mall. Destiny
U.S.A., the retail-and-entertainment complex he is building in upstate New York,
aspires to be not only the biggest man-made structure on the planet but also the
most environmentally friendly. Equal parts Disney World, Las Vegas, Bell
Laboratories and Mall of America-- with a splash of Walden Pond m the "retail
city" will include the usual shops and restaurants as well as an extensive
research facility for testing advanced technologies and a 200-acre recreational
biosphere complete with spring-like temperatures and an artificial river for
kayaking. After a false start in 2002, countless changes of plan
and a storm of local opposition, Congel is finally breaking ground again, with a
projected completion date of 2009. Later this month, bulldozers powered by
biodiesel are scheduled to begin leveling the site, a rehabilitated brownfield
in Syracuse, Congel’s hometown. Whether Congel’s firm, the Pyramid Companies,
can maintain the cash flow and political support needed to complete the project
is a subject of much local debate. Also disputed are Congel’s goals of creating
200,000 jobs regionally and making Destiny nothing less than "the No. 1 tourist
destination in America." More mind-boggling than the sheer scope
of Destiny is its agenda. Congel emphasizes that renewable energy alone will
power the mall, with its 1,000 shops and restaurants, 80,000 hotel rooms,
40,000-seat arena and Broadway-style theaters. As a result, Congel says, Destiny
will jump-start renewable-energy markets nationwide with its investments in
solar, wind fuel cells and other alternative-energy sources. But if Congel does
manage to erect his El Dorado, will it really help cure our country’s addiction
to scarce and highly polluting fossil fuel Or will it just be a cleverly
marketed boondoggle that may create more environmental problems than it
solves All by itself, the mall would boost America’s
solar-electric power capacity by nearly 10 percent. "On every level, this
project astounds," Senator Hillary Clinton said in April, claiming that the mall
could make the area a hub for clean technologies and deliver a shot of
adrenaline to upstate New York’s ailing economy. To help foot the bill for
Congel’s project, Clinton and other politicians successfully persuaded Congress
to provide financial incentives for mega, scale green development projects.
(Destiny, of course, will face little competition to reap those
benefits.) After a false start, countless changes of plan and great local opposition,______
A.Congel’s confidence finally broke down. B.Congel decided to modify the plan. C.Congel starts again without losing his confidence. D.Congel consulted Congress for suggestions.