The constitution requires just compensation. why is new york not paying just compensation? and what about all those politicians and individuals who say "what's so bad about eminent domain, you get paid for your property?"

that seems to be the point, in part, that the OpEd is making. you don't get paid justly for your property.

but read the OpEd, it is much more about the eminent domain case and blight then the compensation issue.

Posted by: brokeland at November 16, 2009 9:20 AM in response to Goldstein Offered Less Than What He Paid for Condo

Benson, please identify how it is you think Ratner is capable of this project?

Posted by: brokeland at October 19, 2009 12:06 PM in response to DDDB Holds Fifth Fundraiser Against the Yards

that is a photos of yesterday's argument in Albany. The Court of Appeals is in Albany.

Posted by: brokeland at October 15, 2009 10:27 AM in response to Oral Arguments over Eminent Domain at Atlantic Yards

yes, New York State making up BS is just another day at the office, right?

Posted by: brokeland at October 8, 2009 1:56 PM in response to Omissions and Lies in Atlantic Yards Study

except that you are wrong on both counts.

Kelo has very little to do with this case and is not controlling.

There is plenty in NY State law for the court to determine a more restrictive use of eminentn domain.

Posted by: brokeland at October 2, 2009 1:44 PM in response to Ratner Times His Bond Sales

hey tools, did you know in this country when one party violates the law in broad daylight they can be sued? it's true!

maybe not in Russia, but true here.

Posted by: brokeland at September 17, 2009 7:03 PM in response to ESDC Approves Revised Plan for Atlantic Yards

Welcome to the FantasyDome

Posted by: brokeland at September 15, 2009 12:45 PM in response to Atlantic Yards Arena: Subject to Change

you know, maybe DDDB are blow hards, but you know who the BIG blow hards are:

Bruce, Gregg and Frank.

how pathetic is that whole Ratner crew and hangers on if "one guy and his wife" are brining them to their knees? get real.

Posted by: brokeland at September 14, 2009 9:34 PM in response to Closing Bell: DDDB's Letter to SHoP

Really? not in most professions where professionals think of themselves as professionals.

Posted by: brokeland at September 14, 2009 5:04 PM in response to Closing Bell: DDDB's Letter to SHoP

an advocacy group with an opinion and point of view? how dare they! how dare they in Bloomberg's City!

Posted by: brokeland at August 26, 2009 2:15 PM in response to The Carlton Avenue Bridge: Closed Through 2011

Petebklyn, are you suggesting that documents and email lie? or that you didn't read the post Brownstoner is pointing to?

Posted by: brokeland at August 26, 2009 11:33 AM in response to The Carlton Avenue Bridge: Closed Through 2011

there is a misunderstanding here, the IRS has said Ratner needs to float the bond in 2009 to get the tax exemption, not "start construction." so it does not matter what "start construction" means.

Posted by: brokeland at August 10, 2009 3:17 PM in response to A Turning Point for Atlantic Yards

yes, it is, but it is what Bruce Ratner's chief community supporter said and has been saying for years. you think that is by accident?

Posted by: brokeland at July 24, 2009 12:29 PM in response to Battle of Brooklyn: Yards Documentary Trailer Drops

Atlantic Yards, eminent domain, David v. Goliath is not a niche local issue. Sorry to say, Return of Randlph. and the trailer appears to be a promotion of the movie to raise awareness of it and money for it, not a preview of a completed film.

Posted by: brokeland at July 24, 2009 10:36 AM in response to Battle of Brooklyn: Yards Documentary Trailer Drops

the Times missed the story here. the story is that Barclays bought naming rights for a Gehry arena. they are not getting that. so FCR has to scramble to find other incentives for Barclays to hang on to the arena naming rights deal. this is one of them, as in:

Bruce to Barclays, we know you are displeased that we're building an airplane hangar now, so how about we put some of your money towards calling a subway stop Barclays Station or whatever shite they choose.

Posted by: brokeland at June 24, 2009 3:28 PM in response to More Naming Rights for Barclay's

"It is partly DDD's fault."

BS. Ratner had 4 years to close his deal with MTA. He didn't. Why? Who knows. And now he comes to the MTA crying poverty and the MTA obliges.

blame whistleblowee not the whistleblower.

Posted by: brokeland at June 23, 2009 1:38 PM in response to MTA Finance Committee Approves New Ratner Deal

"I don't buy the whole bait and switch argument one bit"

that's nice. but Ratner could never afford to build the Gehry design. never.

Posted by: brokeland at June 9, 2009 11:46 AM in response to Ouroussoff, Tell Us How You Really Feel

"If you were against the arena from the start then keep quiet. Because you are part of the reason the bldg was dumbed down.
Those who supported it can express their disappointment."
Posted by: Petebklyn at June 9, 2009 9:46 AM

didn't realize you were legislating this comment board.

that is red herring nonsense. the arena opposition was never about architecture. and, for those who like the Gehry design and are upset now, the blame lays with the developer who pulled a bait and switch. Notably Ouroussoff blames the developer as well.

Nobody from Forest City has given a valid excuse for why they are not building a Gehry design now. If they couldn't afford Gehry, they shouldn't have used him to gain their approvals.

Posted by: brokeland at June 9, 2009 9:57 AM in response to Ouroussoff, Tell Us How You Really Feel

if it ain't Gehry, it ain't happening.

Posted by: brokeland at May 27, 2009 11:01 AM in response to Gehry Finito as Lead Designer for AY Arena?

"If it wasn't for Ratner's proposal we wouldn't be discussing development at this site at all."

Wrong. If it weren't for Ratner's proposal development at "this site" would be under way.

Posted by: brokeland at May 19, 2009 12:01 AM in response to Appellate Court Rules Against Atlantic Yards Opponents

no significant victory? really? do you see an arena and 16 skyscrapers there?

Posted by: brokeland at May 18, 2009 8:09 PM in response to Appellate Court Rules Against Atlantic Yards Opponents

"Sounds like abuse of the court system"

wrong. try again.

Posted by: brokeland at May 18, 2009 10:19 AM in response to Appellate Court Rules Against Atlantic Yards Opponents

project opponents would still be fighting and litigating it.

should be

project opponents wouldn't still be fighting and litigating it.

Posted by: brokeland at May 18, 2009 10:04 AM in response to Appellate Court Rules Against Atlantic Yards Opponents

"i thought atlantic yards was flat out cancelled. what am i missing?"

you are missing that you were wrong, Atlantic Yards wasn't "flat out cancelled." If it had been, project opponents would still be fighting and litigating it.

as for whether another developer would touch the site: of course they would. that is why Ratneer is holding on during the downturn, it is a great piece of real estate.

Posted by: brokeland at May 18, 2009 9:42 AM in response to Appellate Court Rules Against Atlantic Yards Opponents

the bigger picture: Boymelgreen and Ratner and the ESDC colluded to get a foothold on this property for Ratner w/o even using eminent domain in what turns out to be an illegal assignment.

it's the collusion, silly.

Posted by: brokeland at May 13, 2009 9:32 AM in response to Boymelgreen-Ratner Deal on Pacific Was Indeed "Improper"

BrooklynIsHome is absolutely right. we have not won until Ratner loses the right to the project site.

Posted by: brokeland at April 2, 2009 10:45 PM in response to Ratner Snags Another Property in Yards Footprint

FSRQ, you wrote:

"the idea that Ratner is just running around with taxpayer funds buying out ED-threatened people is just nonsense"

it is neither nonsense or overblown. it is precisely what is going on.
Ratner has received 100 million from NYC specifically earmarked for the sole purpose of reimbursing his expenses in buying property in the arena block. guess how much Ratner has paid for those purchases? Just over 100 million. so it is not overblown. it is rather a disgrace that the taxpayer is paying to buy Ratner those properties.

I'd like you to pay for me to buy my next property, but i don' think the city will make you do that for me.

Posted by: brokeland at April 2, 2009 2:02 PM in response to Ratner Snags Another Property in Yards Footprint

opponents aren't getting ahead of themselves. you'll notice they are still fighting. if they were ahead of themselves, they'd be done figting.

now FSRQ, since you have repeated, twice, with great certainty that Ratner "owns most of the land" in the project site, let me set you straight.

The project site is 22 acres.

Ratner owns or controls 6 of those acres. The other 16 are the yards (8 acres) which he does not own, 3 city blocks (about 3 acres) which he does not own, and about 5 acres of private property that he does not own or control.

so, in reality, Ratner owns a small portion of the footprint acreage.

but no doubt, owning it all is what he has his eyes on.

Posted by: brokeland at April 1, 2009 12:18 AM in response to Atlantic Yards: The Play-by-Play

comments schmomments, hire a new reporter.

Posted by: brokeland at March 27, 2009 9:46 PM in response to Let's Talk About Commenting

the analogy doesn't work Mr. Joist. Eli Pariser wasn't running against George Bush.

you'd do well to actually read the articles Brownstoner is pointing to.

Ratner is paying a nice salary to Adossa's and Nimmons' shell organizations so they can be freed up to run a political campaign as surrogates for AY.

Not only is it corrupt, but it may be illegal.

Posted by: brokeland at March 27, 2009 12:26 PM in response to Ratner Money Fueling Challenge to James' Council Seat?

better yet, see http://www.unityplan.org

Posted by: brokeland at March 25, 2009 4:34 PM in response to Gehry Says He Thinks Yards Won't Get Built, Then Hedges

correct, they were forced to sell their homes by the threat of eminent domain, which is the same as using eminent domain, but by a private party rather than the state.

eminent domain has been used. and is being used.

Posted by: brokeland at March 25, 2009 9:53 AM in response to Gehry Says He Thinks Yards Won't Get Built, Then Hedges

"atlantic yards already exists #1. It is a rail yard."

it correct. that rail yard is called Vanderbilt Rail Yard. nobody would have called it Vanderbilt Yards or Atlantic Yards before Ratner proposed his project.

so #1 is correct.

Posted by: brokeland at March 9, 2009 11:54 AM in response to The Times Wraps Its Arms Around Fort Greene

there is plenty of room in the law for these judges to have decided with the plaintiffs. and plenty of room to decide for the state.

they made a political decision, not a legal decision.

Posted by: brokeland at February 27, 2009 1:05 PM in response to Ratner Wins Another Round of Yards Lawsuits

bingo

Posted by: brokeland at January 29, 2009 3:54 PM in response to Carlton Avenue Bridge Could Be Closed for Four More Years

bingo

Posted by: brokeland at January 29, 2009 3:54 PM in response to Carlton Avenue Bridge Could Be Closed for Four More Years

it is a fact that ratner is fleecing the public.
it is a fact that ratner is using eminent domain.

what's the dispute there?

Posted by: brokeland at January 27, 2009 9:19 AM in response to Atlantic Yards Looking Increasingly Un-sexy

lack of facts? let's debate facts. give me your facts and i'll swat them down. ask me for a fact and i'll dunk.

Posted by: brokeland at January 26, 2009 11:40 PM in response to Atlantic Yards Looking Increasingly Un-sexy

i suppose those in favor prefer fleecing the public and eminent domain. go figure!

btw, the rendering on the right is not Ratner's on the "Nimbys" it is Murdoch's.

Posted by: brokeland at January 26, 2009 5:42 PM in response to Atlantic Yards Looking Increasingly Un-sexy

"The NIMBY's claim that they had any influence over this project good or bad is laughable at best."

so your point is that Ratner is a failure or an incompetent boob? which is it?

Posted by: brokeland at January 26, 2009 1:27 PM in response to Atlantic Yards Looking Increasingly Un-sexy

uh, if i may, D-E-A-D D-E-A-L.

Posted by: brokeland at January 26, 2009 11:49 AM in response to Atlantic Yards Looking Increasingly Un-sexy

FtGreenCorey. Yes, there are people who would live directly directly next to the arena and directly across the street, as currently planned.

as for Brooklyn raising its international and national profile by becoming a "major league" town, with all due respect Brooklyn's profile nationally and internationally is way high. i don't think we are hurting in that regard.

Posted by: brokeland at January 9, 2009 8:52 PM in response to Atlantic Yards Scaled Back, Gehry's Role in Question

Dunce > BrooklynLove

Posted by: brokeland at December 16, 2008 4:18 PM in response to Atlantic Yards: Beneficiary or Victim of Economy?

Brooklyn Chicken, you are not missing out anything other than thinking our elected leaders act responsibly.

btw, the parceling you are referring to is the principle behind the UNITY PLan to develop the yards.

see: http://unityplan.org/process.html

Posted by: brokeland at December 16, 2008 1:29 PM in response to Atlantic Yards: Beneficiary or Victim of Economy?

Globabl Fiscal Crisis >>>>>> FCR

Posted by: brokeland at December 16, 2008 12:49 PM in response to Atlantic Yards: Beneficiary or Victim of Economy?

NY Mag PIECE, not pied, of course.

Posted by: brokeland at December 16, 2008 10:27 AM in response to Atlantic Yards: Beneficiary or Victim of Economy?

Brenda, very funny.

as for the NY Mag pied, lawsuits shouldn't be discussed in the past tense. there are 3 pending suits.

Posted by: brokeland at December 16, 2008 10:22 AM in response to Atlantic Yards: Beneficiary or Victim of Economy?

everyday that passes w/o Atlantic Yards is pain free.

sense >>>>>BrooklynLove

Posted by: brokeland at December 11, 2008 5:27 PM in response to Atlantic Yards Will Survive...Kind Of

"Actually most people educated on urban planning would tell you that building high density next to/on top of one of the largest mass transit hubs in the nation is SMART planning."

true that, and most people educated in urban planning will tell you that Ratner's project is way too dense. aka, dumb, irresponsible planning, or lack thereof, as said above.

Posted by: brokeland at December 11, 2008 1:28 PM in response to Atlantic Yards Will Survive...Kind Of