Despite the torrential rains, more than 200 people turned out for yesterday’s Brooklyn Speaks-sponsored “Rally Against Demolition for Parking” at the Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church in Fort Greene. The narrow objective of the rally was to save the 20 or so buildings (including Ward’s Bakery) slated to be torn down over the next month to create parking and staging space for the construction of the first phase of the Yards project. In the age of sustainability and global warming and added people to New York, it’s an obscenity to knock down buildings to build surface parking, said Jon Orcutt, executive director of the Tri-State Transportation Campaign advocacy group. To the chagrin of the many DDDB members in the audience, the more centrist approach of the organizing coalition, which seeks to reduce the scope of the project through peaceful engagement of FCR and government officials, dominated the oratory, as not a single speaker, including council members Yassky, BeBlasio, Jeffries and James, mentioned the words “eminent domain” and only one, Tish James (who, AY Report notes, drew the loudest applause), mentioned the pending lawsuits. DDDB is planning a protest at the corner of Flatbush and Pacific on Wednesday morning to coincide with the planned demolition of four buildings on that corner. More pics on the jump.
Rain Doesn’t Dampen Rally [Metro]
More Than 200 Rally Against Demolition for Parking [AY Report]
Over 200 brave storm to Rally [Brooklyn Speaks]

By Brownstoner | 04/16/2007 9:00 AM