Democratic Chief Reportedly Picks N.Y. as Convention Site

Democratic National Committee Chairman Ron Brown told aides Monday that he has picked New York as the site of the party’s 1992 national convention, sources said.

New York was Brown’s favorite from the outset of the site search and was chosen over New Orleans.

Party spokeswoman Ginny Terzano refused to comment Monday except to say that Brown would make his choice public at a Wednesday morning news conference and probably would notify the mayors of New York and New Orleans of his decision today.

But two party sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Brown had told top aides that he had picked New York. One source said Brown would fly to New York for a news conference with city officials after making his announcement in Washington.

New York was host to the Democratic conventions in 1976 and 1980. Mayor David N. Dinkins made a strong pitch on behalf of his city, beginning his lobbying last year during a Democratic Party meeting in Indianapolis.

Dinkins and other New York officials told Brown that the city had no problem putting up the $20 million the party said was necessary for convention preparations. Prominent fund-raisers in the city also promised to aggressively raise funds for the 1992 presidential campaign.

Hurting New York’s chances was that Madison Square Garden is too small to serve as both a convention hall and media center.