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December 11, 2006

ESDC Rubberstamps AY & Gets Sued by Tenants

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Three of the seven-member Empire State Development Corporation board didn't even bother to show up at Friday's vote on the Atlantic Yards project. Maybe they decided they didn't need to, as the press release had already been written before the vote was taken to approve the both the plan, the Final Environmental Impact Statement and the building condemnations that are part and parcel of the project. Within hours of the expected decision, thirteen tenants at two buildings (473 Dean Street and 624 Pacific Street) sued the ESDC for signing off on the buildings’ condemnation without permission from state housing officials to erase the rent-stabilized leases.
A Nod for AY, Then a Lawsuit [NY Times]
Ratner to Court Albany for Arena [NY Post]
In Fifteen Minutes... [AY Report]




Posted by Brownstoner at 8:56 AM | Comments (10)
Categories: Development

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Comments

Garagano is corrupt. Silver nailed that one right. All this is is a huge land grab and robbing of the public coffers.

Posted by: Anonymous at December 11, 2006 10:16 AM

It's unfortunate, but The Public Authorities Control Board will approve this before the end of the year.

The tenants lawsuit and DDDBs lawsuit are the only things left that have a chance of affecting the deal. If they can find a sympathetic judge, they may be able to tie things up for long enough to cause FCR some problems.

The tenants lawsuit in particular appears to have some real merits, because rent stabilization law has an explicit time frame that must be met before DHCR can issue a final demolition order on a building. A pending demolition order has to include approved plans from the DOB, and financing documents before a demolition can be issued. FCR can't just keep rent stabilized tenants without leases indefinately as it has apparently done while waiting for approvals.

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at December 11, 2006 10:29 AM

D-O-N-E-D-E-A-L!!!

Posted by: Anonymous at December 11, 2006 4:47 PM

Sadly but true. It's over......

Posted by: Anonymous at December 11, 2006 8:38 PM

On a radio program on Thursday, a day before the vote on future condemnations, Mr. Gargano seemed to indicate that no such decision would be made. “There is nothing about that tomorrow,” he said in an interview on WNYC.

Asked about those statements at a news conference yesterday, Mr. Gargano grew testy and denied that he had made them. When the statements were read to him, he suggested that he had been misheard. Later in the day, he called this reporter to clarify his previous comments.

“Obviously, I knew very clearly that this project had not yet used condemnation,” Mr. Gargano said. “And I have known from the beginning that if they had to use condemnation, it would be very small.”

Posted by: Anonymous at December 11, 2006 11:09 PM

G-H-E-R-Y-I-S-A-H-A-C-K!!!

Posted by: Anonymous at December 11, 2006 11:14 PM

R-A-T-N-E-R-I-S-S-T-E-A-L-I-N-G-Y-O-U-R-M-O-N-E-Y!!!

Posted by: Anonymous at December 11, 2006 11:15 PM

Can't wait to dine in the new Red Lobster or whatever it is that Ratner will bring to Atlantic Yards. If we're lucky maybe it will be another Chuck-E-Cheze.

Posted by: Anonymous at December 12, 2006 12:30 AM

Sad but true...perhaps the means by which some of the AY plan went through were sly, but in all honesty the entire strip of area that is going to be rebuilt will most certainly improve the region, the value of property and frankly it could not hurt the aesthetics. I know this is going to not sit well with many of you but in all respect the popular opinion here is exactly that. An area like ours is to important at the moment to be underutilized and those of us who perhaps do not patronize Chuck-ees or Daffy's etc may ebven share some of your sensibilities. In every other respect however, time moves on and downtown Brooklyn deserves the direction in which it is heading with or without your blessing(s).

Long time resident.

Posted by: anon at December 12, 2006 7:33 AM

good luck with that golden attitude 7:33am. rest well, you're supporting theft and bribery. enjoy!

Posted by: Anonymous at December 13, 2006 1:35 AM

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