The Mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, has revealed a new initiative to link the uninhabited Governors Island to lower Manhattan by aerial gondolas and invited proposals to redevelop the island.

The ambitious gondolas idea comes from Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava and would cost around US$125m (£72m, E105m) to build.

The gondolas would be able to carry up to 3,000 people every hour to the island, which is located half a mile away from Manhattan.

Suspended 200ft (60m) above the harbour, the gondolas would ferry people to or from Manhattan within around four minutes.

The 70-hectare (170 acre) island was one of the first settlements of the Dutch West India Company in the 17th Century and has military fortresses dating from the US War of Independence. It has been abandoned since 1997.

Currently, the island is only accessible by boat or air and the Mayor has already vetoed construction of a golf course, a casino or a football stadium on the land. The deadline for proposals is 10 May. Details: www.govisland.com