The State Senate voted Tuesday to confirm former city comptroller and mayoral candidate Bill Thompson’s appointment to the Battery Park City Authority Board of Directors.

Though he will technically replace the board’s longtime vice chairman Charlie Urstadt, whose term expired last year, Thompson is likely to be appointed the Authority’s next chairman at its next meeting, scheduled for March 29. Gov. David Paterson announced Thompson’s nomination last month, just days after the Authority’s former chairman, James Gill, abruptly resigned from his post after almost 15 years.

“I’m looking forward to serving the people of Battery Park City,” Thompson told the State Senate’s Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions, one of two committees to approve Thompson’s nomination before the full Senate’s vote.

As the city’s comptroller, Thompson shared partial control with Mayor Michael Bloomberg—as well as the governor and chairman of the Authority—of the millions of dollars the Authority collects annually in rents from Battery Park City property owners.

“While I don’t know Battery Park City intimately, I know it on kind of a macro level,” Thompson said.

The Corporations Committee, which includes Battery Park City’s senate representative, Daniel Squadron, voted its endorsement of Thompson’s appointment on Feb. 24. The Senate Finance Committee followed suit a week later.

“Having someone of his experience and all of the great talents that bring there are going to be really appreciated,” said Squadron. “We’re really excited to have him there.”

Thompson’s chairmanship of the Authority, which not only runs the day-to-day operations of the 92-acre neighborhood but also manages its financial and real estate interests, could have political ramifications. As comptroller, Thompson criticized Paterson’s plan to use $200 million raised by the Authority to plug shortfalls in the state's budget. His rivalry with Mayor Bloomberg during the election last year could also jeopardize his ability to use the funds for the projects he wants.

Gill, who took over as chairman of the board in 1995, said in his resignation letter to Paterson that he was leaving the board in part because he felt that the Authority’s work in Battery Park City was “substantially completed,” as the last of the area’s available parcels of land are being built out.

Some have speculated that Gill’s resignation may have been prompted by the impending results of a 10-month investigation of the Authority’s board members, led by the state Inspector General’s office. Gill makes no mention of the investigation in his letter.

“During my chairmanship, Battery Park City was transformed from a ‘stopover’ to a vibrant family community,” Gill said in his letter to the governor.

In addition to Urstadt and Gill, two other members of the seven-member Authority are likely to be replaced. Board members Andy Shenoy and Evelyn Rollins’ terms both expired earlier this year, though both will continue to serve on the board until their replacements are nominated and confirmed. With Gill’s seat still technically vacant, a spokeswoman for Paterson's administration said the Governor has not nominated anyone besides Thompson to serve on the Authority’s board.

Following the news of Thompson’s confirmation, members of Community Board 1’s Battery Park City said they hope to use the recent shake-up at the Authority to lobby for more local representation on its board. Currently, Robert Mueller is the only resident of Battery Park City serving on the board. The committee passed a resolution Tuesday night calling for a new rule that at least three of the board’s members live in Battery Park City.