Number 10: Daniel Goldstein

This is a tough town. In order to be effective, especially in bucking the powers that be, it really helps to be thick skinned, obnoxious, relentless and frankly, a class A a@@hole. I don't care what kind of money Daniel Goldstein has, had, or will have. I don't even have to like him, but I admire his tenacity.

Think of it, he and his organization held up the largest building project in the city of New York for almost three years. During that time, Forest City Ratner has had to rethink its plans several times, spend a fortune on PR concerns, another fortune on legal fees, and still hasn't laid two bricks on top of each other in all of this time. During those three years, we've seen the easily predicted condo glut come to pass, as well as the also predicted financial mess which may be the final nail on the coffin to any huge mega project. Develop Don't Destroy may not have been the sword thrust to the heart of AY, but their thousand cuts may have bled them dry, and done the same job.

The best thing that can come out of this is that Ratner sells the site to smaller developers who can intelligently build necessary housing, business and recreational facilities in a less rancorous and irresponsible manner.

Kudos to Goldstein.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at October 24, 2008 11:36 AM

Polemicist, do you read the numerous condo articles on this site, look around you, or even read posts carefully, or do you just throw out knee jerk reactions to people you generally disagree with?

When countless condo buildings across the city can't sell a majority of units, even at reduced prices, when so many begin construction as condos and open as rentals, and even more are in the pipeline to nil interest, then there is a condo glut. Even before the economic downturn beginning in earnest a few months ago, you couldn't give some of these apartments away. Too many are being built, many are of dubious quality, or in poor locations, like overlooking the BQE or a junkyard, and most are overpriced. No matter the reason for their non movement, there are a lot of empty apartments out there. Glut, pure and simple.

And if you read, I encourage somebody, many somebodies actually, to develop the AY site, most people, including Goldstein, do. We do need housing, but please don't thow that up as a ridiculous smokescreen for allowing Bruce Ratner to have his way. His AY does very little for the kind of housing needed for the majority of Brooklyn families.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at October 24, 2008 3:13 PM