In the collective post mortem that’s going on over the defeat of the West Side stadium, much is being made of how well in contrast Ratner navigated the treacherous waters of politics and money get his Nets project to the point where it now looks like a done deal. The Times notes, among other things, Ratner’s effort to engage local officials and community leaders, especially those with an early pre-disposition against the project. The pivotal point, it now seems, was the agreement that Ratner cut with Acorn to guarantee more minority contracting, job training and community use of the arena. When Acorn’s director Bertha Lewis gave both Mayor Bloomberg and Bruce Ratner big smackers on the lips at Borough Hall last month, it was all over. Although, according to Curbed, some would disagree.
Arena in Brooklyn Is Still a Go [NY Times]
Sealed With a Kiss [Brooklyn Papers, photos by Tom Callan]
Uproar from the Anti-Ratner Table [Curbed]