« Thursday Links One Brooklyn Bridge Park Open for Business »
April 5, 2007
Another Day, Another Atlantic Yards Lawsuit
With another lawsuit scheduled to be filed by opponents of the current plan for Atlantic Yards (bringing the number of outstanding suits to four), the paper of record "plays catchup" (in the words of Norman Oder) today in a longer-than-usual article on the topic. While today's lawsuit takes aims at what the petitioners call a "fatally flawed" Environmental Impact Statement, The Times article focuses more on the lack of financial transparency in the project, namely the fact that no one who signed off on the project ever saw a financial plan for the project. The buck-passing and semantic side-stepping approaches the comical. “We did not receive a document labeled ‘financial plan,’ but the information we received, taken together, constitutes a financial plan,” said ESDC spokesman Errol Cockfield, before adding, "The important distinction is to point out that the project was approved by the previous administration, not this administration." In a statement that says exactly nothing, FCR spokesman Loren Riegelhaupt, said that the company was “not able to make our business plan public” for “proprietary reasons.” Translation: They just didn't want to.
Clearing of AY Site Proceeds as Legal Thicket Grows Denser [NY Times]
Opponents To File Suit On Atlantic Yards [NY Sun]
Times Plays Catchup on AY, Bobbles Several Balls [AY Report]
Photo by Tracy Collins
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.brownstoner.com/mte/mt-tb.cgi/888
Comments
If AY opponents are so confident that their eminent domain lawsuit will succeed, then why are they wasting their painfully small war chest on yet another lawsuit? It seems that they, not Ratner, are the ones who are afraid.
Posted by: Anonymous at April 5, 2007 11:06 AM
Perhaps its not painfully small, anonyman. and perhaps uhm, they want to hold the state accountable for preaking laws and statutes?
Posted by: Anonymous at April 5, 2007 11:14 AM
Holding bake sales? Having over-the-hill punk rockers hold a benefit concert? Have third-rate comedians tell jokes at a local watering hole?
Unless Lumi Rolley and Patti Hagan have donated their brownstones to the cause, fellow anonymous, I doubt that the war chest is all that large.
Posted by: Anonymous at April 5, 2007 12:01 PM
who cares how large someone's "war chest" is? does it matter? NO!
what does matter is people and politicians breaking laws, especially when it involves our taxes.
and who says the people who are waging these lawsuits are AY opponents? this deal is so transparently dirty it could be anyone who values and wants to uphold the rule of law.
Posted by: Anonymous at April 5, 2007 12:28 PM
it's called not putting all your eggs in one basket. the opponents' ability to pay their legal bill is strictly a matter between the client and the attorney.
Posted by: Anonymous at April 5, 2007 1:07 PM
"Holding bake sales? Having over-the-hill punk rockers hold a benefit concert? Have third-rate comedians tell jokes at a local watering hole"
and walkathons, and solicit donations from people who care about brooklyn...it all adds up....care to help out?
Anyway read over the complaint, the ESDC 'f*cked up' big time.
And further fellow anon, one of the focuses is the 'blight' study. if the area they declared blighted is blighted, than no home is safe yours included
Posted by: Anonymous at April 5, 2007 1:36 PM
Good. Maybe Ratner will pay me double the value of my home. I'll sell in a minute.
Fear tactics are sooooo effective.
Posted by: Anonymous at April 5, 2007 4:26 PM
"It's called not putting all your eggs in one basket"
No, it's called "acknoledgement of imminent failure, so proceed to plan B".
Posted by: Anonymous at April 5, 2007 4:46 PM
Failure, Plan B, bake sales . . . SO WHAT????
This isn't Ratner's borough, it's our damn borough and guess what, despite all the politicians that have been paid for, we still have the right to protest, file suits and hold bake sales.
A billion dollars of taxpayer money goes to Bruce Ratner and we should do nothing? C'mon.
Posted by: John at April 5, 2007 5:16 PM
4:26 You think Ratner will pay you doublee the value of your home? Think again!
Posted by: Anonymous at April 5, 2007 9:50 PM
Bruce Ratner is an anti-American terrorist scumbag.
Posted by: H at April 5, 2007 10:15 PM
I'm a taxpayer and I say it's okay to for the city to subsidize this project with my tax dollars.
Lets Go Nets!!!!
Posted by: Anonymous at April 5, 2007 10:20 PM
9:50,
No need to think again, as he paid the others double the value.
Posted by: Anonymous at April 6, 2007 6:18 PM
Post a comment
Please be patient while your comment is published. It may take a moment.