The group most widely associated with the fight against Bruce Ratner’s proposed Atlantic Yards project just made a big move to broaden its public appeal by putting together a 33-member advisory board studded with such high-profile Brooklynites as Steve Buscemi, Heath Ledger and Jonathan Safran Foer. Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn (DDDB) is hoping the addition of the celebs will make it harder for Ratner and others to portray the group as some fly-by-night lightweight organization and provide some counter-balance to the starpower Ratner himself has enlisted to sell his vision to the borough. One new board member, actress (and Ledger fiancee) Michelle Williams, isn’t too keen on what the development would mean for her newly adopted neighborhood of Boerum Hill: “His vision will increase traffic, pollution and asthma,” she said. “If Mr. Ratner lived here, he would understand what we love about it and why we want to preserve our open skies.” “It’s very frustrating to realize that something with such a massive scale can be imposed upon from people who don’t live here,” said author and Fort Greene resident Jhumpa Lahiri. Maybe all these stars can pool some funds together to offer Bertha Lewis more money to sell out to them than Ratner did. Heck, Heath could even throw in a kiss that would top the smacker Lewis gave Ratner last year!
Celebs Join Ratner Foes [NY Daily News]
Announcement of Advisory Board Formation [DDDB]