555 - Selection of site.

§  555. Selection of site. Notwithstanding any provisions of any other  statute, the authority in conjunction with the commissioner of parks  of  the city or his successor, the commissioner of parks and recreation, and  with  the  approval  of  the board of estimate of such city and with the  separate approval of the mayor thereof, is hereby authorized  to  select  sites  in  the  boroughs  of  the  Bronx  and Queens of the city for the  Whitestone bridge project and parkways connecting therewith, which sites  may be in or through existing public parks, and to select sites for  new  public  parks  contiguous  to  such  project or contiguous to the roads,  streets, parkways or avenues connecting with such  project.  A  site  or  sites  may be selected for any or all of the aforementioned purposes and  thereafter the use thereof shall be allocated  by  the  commissioner  of  parks and recreation as herein provided. The property so selected solely  for  such  project,  not already owned by the city, shall be acquired at  the sole expense of the authority in the manner provided for under  this  title.  The  property  so  selected solely for new public parks shall be  acquired by the city at its sole expense. The cost of  the  property  so  selected  for  such  project,  combined  with  any  other aforementioned  purposes the use of which is  to  be  thereafter  determined,  shall  be  divided  between  the  city  and the authority as may be determined by a  contract or contracts hereby authorized to be entered into  between  the  city and the authority, subject to the approval of the board of estimate  of  the  city.  So  much  of  the sites so selected and acquired or such  easements or rights of way therein as may be necessary or convenient for  the  corporate  purposes  of  the  authority  may  be  assigned  by  the  commissioner  of  parks  and recreation of the city to the authority for  its use so long as its corporate existence shall continue.