While the Atlantic Yards’ eminent domain case begins in court today, Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn and four elected officials filed another suit in the state’s Supreme Court yesterday against the Metropolitan Transit Authority, claiming that its sale of land to developer Forest City Ratner violates state law. Specifically, they charge that the M.T.A. violated the Public Authorities Accountability Act of 2005 when, in June 2009, it sold the 8.5-acre Vanderbilt Yard at Flatbush and Atlantic to the developer in a $100 million deal without first getting an independent appraisal of the yard and opening the parcel to competing offers. According to DDDB, “an annulment [of the sale] would disallow the transfer of the property, which the developer requires for its project, including its proposed basketball arena, until the M.T.A. complied with the law.” The M.T.A. declined to speak with The New York Times regarding the lawsuit, but the lead plaintiff, state Senator Velmanette Montgomery, said: “While the M.T.A. is forcing service cuts and fare increases on the people of New York, they are giving Forest City Ratner just about a free ride. We have laws in this state which forbid these kinds of sweetheart deals.”
Suit Challenges Sale of Land to Atlantic Yards Developer [NY Times]
Elected Officials and Two Orgs Sue MTA for Sweetheart Deal [DDDB]
Photo by Tracy Collins