Atlantic Yards seems to be in the hot seat this week due to the Court of Appeals case that began on Wednesday regarding the state’s use of eminent domain to acquire land for the development project. Here’s a round-up of recent comments, from the Atlantic Yards Report, the Wall Street Journal, and Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn. The WSJ points out that if the Yards wins in court, its next big challenge will be “selling the development to a skeptical bond market.” The $700 million bond sale needed to fund the project comes at a time when sports spending is receding and the bond market is still shaky. The article adds: “If developers of the Atlantic Yards project don’t issue bonds by Dec. 31 to fund the arena’s construction, the debt will lose tax-exempt status, which would kill the project.” And concerning the arena’s prospective occupants, the Nets basketball team, the Atlantic Yards Report writes that there’s some jostling in New Jersey regarding what to do with the team until it moves to Brooklyn. Regarding legal matters, the Report also questions why Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries didn’t join the lawsuit against the MTA for its dismissal of due process during the sale of land to developer Forest City Ratner, especially since his neighboring assemblymembers, Jim Brennan and Joan Millman, did join. Jeffries said that participating in the lawsuit would compromise his power of advocacy, but the Report wonders if he’s simply hedging his bets. Finally, several sites made a stink that The New York Times failed to run a print article about the opening arguments of the eminent domain case on Wednesday. Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn wonders whether the Times is avoiding the topic because its Manhattan tower was built with the use of eminent domain.
Sale of Arena Debt Is Tough Shot [WSJ]
WSJ Calls Arena Debt a ‘Toss Up’ [AYR]
Newark Mayor Booker Focuses on Temporary Nets Move [AYR]
Jeffries Agrees with Plaintiffs But Won’t Join Them [AYR]
Something Is Wrong at the Times [DDDB]
Photo by Tracy Collins