What if the "owner" of the garage is NYC and the "lots of money" covers the back taxes?
Well yes, and that was ultimately the deal breaker. De Blasio somehow thought NYC should have to pay for all the taxes and defaulted bonds the parking garage carried, which (to my mind at least) would be a reverse subsidy from the sports team to the government. If the garage is worth less than its debt and liabilities, why is that somehow our responsibility? To be clear, the garage is owned by an independent entity, but its bonds are (I think) guaranteed by the city, and it may owe the city taxes.
Anyway, what I think Rob A. was doing was conflating the garage situation with rumors that the real problem was the elevator company holding out for more money. The owner of GAL has publicly denied this and said he wanted to move, but who knows.