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April 18, 2007
FCR Calls Off The Bulldozers, For Now
If buildings had lungs, four properties in the Atlantic Yards footprint (189 Flatbush (pictured), 191 Flatbush, 193 Flatbush and 618 Pacific Street) would be breathing a huge sigh of relief this morning. With a demonstration planned to coincide with the start of demolition of a cluster of buildings near the intersection of Flatbush and Dean this morning, Develop Don't Destroy petitioned the Manhattan State Supreme Court for a Temporary Restraining order against Forest City Ratner yesterday. After a two hour session, FCR agreed to call off the bulldozers until the end of the week to give Justice Joan Madden time to consider the case. If the TRO gets denied, the rally will most likely be held on Monday morning at 8 a.m.
Forest City Ratner Agrees Not to Demolish [Develop Don't Destroy]
Demolitions Postponed; Protest May Be Monday [AY Report]
Why Protest When You Can Sue? [NY Mag]
Photo by Tracy Collins
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Comments
But buildings don't have lungs, silly.
TIME FOR THE WRECKING BALL!!!
Posted by: Anonymous at April 18, 2007 9:37 AM
I'm with anon 9:37. Enough BS, this thing is gonna happen whether you like it or not. Let's get this show on the road already.
Posted by: jtg at April 18, 2007 10:07 AM
Let's not get this show on the road. It is about time this project got slowed down. It steamrolled through crushing everything in its path long enough. Every little win is a good thing.
Posted by: Anonymous at April 18, 2007 10:52 AM
i'm with 10:52.
the only BS here has been spewing from Ratner's mouth and pocketbook for the last 3 years.
Posted by: Anonymous at April 18, 2007 10:54 AM
Let's not only NOT get this show on the road, let's investigate how this taxpayer-funded disaster got greenlighted so quickly. Preferably by people with subpoenas in their hands.
Posted by: John at April 18, 2007 11:28 AM
John 11:28 Hooray yes let's not. It seems some folks got their pockets lined at all our expense.. Time to take a breath and look at this.
Posted by: Anonymous at April 18, 2007 11:30 AM
D-O-N-E-D-E-A-L!!!
Posted by: Anonymous at April 18, 2007 11:36 AM
Oh, please. Enough with the whining. If AY protesters really cared about the practical implications of the project, they'd maintain a much better perspective and reshuffle their priorities. Instead of attempting to destroy the AY project at every step, protestors should focus on improving it (e.g., dealing with traffic, parking, environmental concerns, etc.) and fortifying zoning restrictions in the rest of Brownstone Brooklyn.
Posted by: Anonymous at April 18, 2007 11:37 AM
oh please, enough with the wrongheaded support for corruption. get off it. be a man and stop attacking the protesters.
it might help you to stay focused on what is actually happening here. corruption in government helps no one.
Posted by: Anonymous at April 18, 2007 11:43 AM
It's amusing to see AY opponents cling desperately to anything remotely resembling a victory. Today, No Land Grab, citing absolutely no evidence, claims that thousands of people have stopped drinking Brooklyn beer products as a result of the boycott. Yea, right.
Posted by: Anonymous at April 18, 2007 12:08 PM
This is not about supporting corruption. This is about deterring it and avoiding it in the future.
You purists will find yourselves with nothing at the end of the day.
Howabout truly making a difference instead of being so hell-bent on saving a couple of run-down townhomes.
Posted by: Anonymous at April 18, 2007 12:10 PM
"deterring it and avoiding it in the future"
please explain
Posted by: Anonymous at April 18, 2007 12:50 PM
the ONLY tactic that has improved this project has been to delay it at every step.
every other form of compromise, conversation and political discourse has resulted in getting royally screwed by Ratner or betrayed by Markowitz.
Sue until the thing works. Sue the hell out of it.
Posted by: chuck at April 18, 2007 12:58 PM
How has delaying the project improved it exactly?
Posted by: jtg at April 18, 2007 1:22 PM
hey, for my money, i'm totally enjoying watching the opponents make things harder for FCR. how often does the average person get a chance to irritate a big developer? Delay & Irritate, Brooklyn!
Posted by: Jimmy Legs at April 18, 2007 1:55 PM
That's cute, and certainly adolescent; however, how does delaying or irritating a developer improve our Borough? In other words, after you've grown up, join in the discussion in a productive manner.
Posted by: Anonymous at April 18, 2007 2:40 PM
I hate lawyers.
Posted by: Anonymous at April 18, 2007 2:41 PM
nyah nyah nyah i'm standing in the way of progress by posting to the comments section of a blog! nyah nyah!
this is how i improve Brooklyn, you just can't see the big picture yet.
Posted by: Jimmy Legs at April 18, 2007 3:42 PM
Here's my dilemma: I'm into development, vertical growth (as opposed to sprawl), and I love the idea of developping Brooklyn, making the city grow right here, where it's intense and complex, and to have the growth designed by some fairly inventive (in their prime -- repsect to Gehry, Koolhas and Meier") architects.
But the shadow study scares the hell out of me.
And the arena -- the filth of fast food and stench and screaming horns of traffic -- revolts me.
Why did Brooklyn have to inherit the WORST of manhattan? Why can't we have the financial district grow here? Or low-middle income housing? Or retail? Why did it have to be Madison Square Garden /suburban mall for 600 feet into the sky?
Posted by: Anonymous at April 18, 2007 4:26 PM
Anon at 4:26 -- because this project was entirely developer driven. Amazing but true -- 22 acres adjacent to the hottest neighborhoods in Brooklyn, some of it state property, some of it city property, some of it private property seized via eminent domain -- these 22 acres are being developed according to the needs and wishes of the developer with the help of substantial public subsidies paid for by you and me. The developer was allowed to by-pass the City land use review process and get his project approved by rubberstamp at the state level. A particularly vivid example of money and power trumping all else.
To Anon at 11:37, who atacks AY opponents for demonstrating against demolitions that will create enormous parking lots -- what gives? Don't you think we should try to stop FCRC from creating a gigantic parking lot? Traffic is one of the number one problems with the AY plan. Creating enormous parking lots that may be with us for the next 20 years (which is how long the build-out could take) is a truly terrible idea, as it will absolutely guarantee that many people will drive to arena events rather than use public transportation.
Posted by: SPer at April 18, 2007 5:22 PM
"How often does the average person get the change to irritate a big developer"
Since when does being so rich that you can forego work and devote several years to "activisim" make one an average person?
Posted by: Anonymous at April 18, 2007 5:48 PM
5:48,
the only truly rich guys in the room are the ones who rubber-stamped this project, and they're laughing with glee as they read statements like yours!
you're lucky though right now because once they finish the project you are the LAST thing that will be on their mind.
Posted by: Anonymous at April 18, 2007 6:11 PM
Still, no one has explained how delaying the start of construction has improved the project?
To those who say 'fight to the bitter end', wouldn't you have been better served by trying to work with FCR in a constructive way instead of endless lawsuits? As someone said above, seems pretty juvenile to me.
Posted by: jtg at April 18, 2007 7:14 PM
I live in the neighborhood and I am glad the atlantic yards is here.
Posted by: anon at April 18, 2007 7:47 PM
it was not possible to work with FCR in a constructive way because FCR refused to. that's what people are angry about.
Posted by: Anonymous at April 19, 2007 12:52 AM
The opponents are more concerned with being right than being effective. One of many reasons why their efforts have failed so miserably.
Posted by: Anonymous at April 19, 2007 9:14 AM
delaying construction has forced the ONLY concessions from FCR right now - the shrinking of Miss Brooklyn (shudder) and a few other buildings, the inclusion of a school, the inclusion of affordable apartments for sale, and a couple other small things.
the reason these minor improvements are attributable to delay is because without the protesting and lawsuits, Ratner's plan was going unchanged through the process.
only because normal brooklynites had to revert to being pains-in-the-asses (with protests and lawsuits) did anyone take notice and attempt to placate us.
so I admit that long-term, it hasn't been as effective as we wanted. but short-term, again, the only improvements to the project are because of protests and lawsuits.
Posted by: chuck at April 19, 2007 4:18 PM
I live in the AY area I am glad the Arena is coming.
Posted by: anon at April 23, 2007 6:42 PM
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