"You'll have plenty of opportunity to learn," the man from Governors Island said.
Governors Island is looking for a few good ideas.
"You've got a long time before you can come up with anything like that for Governors Island."
Several city politicians who are expected to be involved in the development of Governors Island support the idea.
Until recently, few outside of the military had ever visited Governors Island.
Governors Island has been standing lonely and empty out in the harbor while years of talk about development have come to nothing.
Yet city and state officials clearly are at a loss about what to do with Governors Island.
What he doesn't know is the fate of Governors Island.
Governors Island, a 172-acre military installation for 300 years, was closed last year and is now virtually a ghost town.
"Governors Island could be on a slippery slope to serious deterioration," he said.