Atlantic Yards or Atlantic Lots?
These past few days have been a big one for Atlantic Yards news. Saturday, hundreds of protesters led by three opposition groups and several politicians rallied at the Atlantic Yards footprint, calling for a halt to demolition until developer Forest City Ratner can provide details on its plans and assurances that it has the financing…
These past few days have been a big one for Atlantic Yards news. Saturday, hundreds of protesters led by three opposition groups and several politicians rallied at the Atlantic Yards footprint, calling for a halt to demolition until developer Forest City Ratner can provide details on its plans and assurances that it has the financing to see them through. They were met by a 50 percent larger group of counter-protesters, estimated Atlantic Yards Report blogger Norman Oder, who proceeded to comment on the ethnicity, neighborhood of residence and motivation of each one. On Sunday, Bruce Ratner penned an op-ed piece in the Daily News blaming construction delays on the project’s “rigorous public review” and legal challenges waged by opponents. He said “the delays have pushed us into a time when the economy has slowed, and both financing and tenant commitments are more challenging to obtain. But contrary to rumors, large deals are still getting done, and in the past year alone we have closed on the two largest construction financing in our company’s history, totaling over $1.3 billion. Atlantic Yards will be no different.” Ratner said the company’s first goal is to break ground on the Barclays Center (Nets basketball arena) this year, then the first residential building. “As for Miss Brooklyn, Frank Gehry’s signature commercial tower, a targeted marketing campaign to identify an anchor tenant is currently underway. When that tenant is confirmed, we will finalize plans and start building,” he wrote. He said the whole thing would be completed by 2018, which opponents called crazy talk.
Today, the New York Post obtained renderings commissioned by the Municipal Arts Society depicting how the project’s footprint would look as economic woes stall its construction indefinitely. They name it “Atlantic Lots” after the sea of parking lots that surround the arena and lone tower the developer said he’d work on first. Ratner spokesman Loren Riegelhaupt responded, “Frankly, this is so far from anything even remotely resembling what we are building that it’s not worth commenting on further.” For one thing, he said, the developer would mostly likely plant trees (you know, temporarily) on that big grey slab surrounding the arena. Also today, the Daily News has an article proclaiming “Miss Brooklyn is slashed more than 100 feet in a massive redo” from 620 feet to 511 feet. That of course happened before the project was approved Dec. 2006, but the new model looks substantially different, “replaced by an asymmetrical design that rises like a spiraling Lego structure.” State officials told the newspaper Miss Brooklyn would only have 650,000 square feet of office space and no condos or hotel. But a construction timetable for the project’s signature tower was not given, and an anchor tenant still needs to be secured before it can ever get financing. They also unveiled that red building to the right of Miss Brooklyn, also a revised design. Technically, the Post and Daily News models are not competing visions, they just depict different stages of construction. As usual, the Atlantic Yards Report has a meticulous dissection of everything. And a Metro columnist says the city would be better off if the Nets just went to Newark.
Ratner: AY Dead? Dream On [Daily News]
The Future is ‘Blight’ [NY Post]
Atlantic Yards’ Miss Brooklyn is Slashed [Daily News]
Opponents say Ratner’s Time Line for AY is Pie in the Sky [Daily News]
Nets to Newark Could be a Blessing [Metro]
Bruce Ratner: Put Up or Shut Up! [Daily Gotham]
Not a Done Deal: Time Out Rally Met With Counter-Protest [Daily Gotham]
Original aerial photos in Municipal Arts Society models by Jonathan Barkey
“Go find a non profit that doesn’t raise funds to pay their employees, you dumb ass.”
Yes, and go find a union that does not require action by their members to solidify power and increase the chances of securing jobs for members. Whether the union represents carpenters, social workers, teachers, nurses, or electricians, it asks unions to pitch in. And it’s volunteer work, not paid labor (I’m still waiting for evidence that the counterprotesters were paid to attend).
“Someone who is paid by individual raised funds for a non profit organization that was created by citizens is absolutely an amazing thing.”
I agree, but that was not the original point. Counterprotesters were being criticized for being paid to attend the rally, when, in fact, Shabnam Merchant, was the one earning money for doing so (again, regardless of how low her salary is). By the way, union activity is also an amazing thing. Without unions, you and others would not have paid sick time, vacation time, lunch hours, safety rules, labor laws, holidays off, etc.
“Still no answer…who do you think is going to live in those luxury buildings?”
A rich mix of New Yorkers. All incomes, races, and ethnicities. Apartments will be assigned according to income, which by itself guarantees that the residents will be diverse in every way. Otherwise, Prospect Heights would continue to attract only privileged yuppies like Daniel Goldstein, Shabnam Merchant, Lumi Rolley, Eric McClure, and all of the other anti-development NIMBYs at the rally.
Pedestrians will be as safe here as they are at the other high-traffic areas of this city of 8 million people, and asthma rates won’t be any higher here than anywhere there is development (as in all over this city).
Thank you god. I guess the fact that brooklyn has one of the highest asthma death rates, is just something to ignore?
3:14
I think the scale of the area was defined by the Williamsburg Savings Bank. If the depression hadn’t hit, this entire area would be developed with large office towers or at least large apartment buildings like you see on Eastern Parkway or Prospect Park West.
For the most part, I think R10 zoning regulations are ideal for the entirety of Manhattan and every part of the city within walking distance of the subway. Literally 100 projects the size of AY would have to be built for the middle class to have access to modern, affordable apartments similar to what can be found elsewhere in the country. So, it’s important to remember this project is actually incredibly small when you look at the housing needs this city faces. Compared to other thriving metropolises in the world, particularly in Asia, this is really no big deal.
Overall, I think the scale is “just right”. The only impact the average citizen will notice is the improved retail in the area. The landed gentry will likely see their assets increase in value significantly, while us peasants restricted to units in multifamily dwellings will see rents and condo prices flat line a bit.
I really wish the Dodgers were able to get their stadium on the site in the 1950s like they wanted, but a Nets stadium isn’t so bad. I lived by Wrigley Field in Chicago for 2 years after college – the crowds never really bothered me and the energy of the area was actually pretty inspiring at times.
your such morons yet you claim the residents of Brooklyn are uneducated. You people are selfish low lives who shit in wine glasses and smell it because you think it smells great.
CRAP Who told you we do this the secret is out!
Still no answer…who do you think is going to live in those luxury buildings?
Losers, that is so funny. Someone is not really calling people losers with a serious face are they?
Yea I’m sure the wife is making a killing organizing volunteers to get off their asses and not spend all day on blogs. Yes, that is a genius comment.
What job are you all at right now? I’m telling your boss that you troll blogs all day! Losers
Is this second grade? Oh no second graders actually show some respect for other humans around them.
You full time live here all your life, can’t see any good in people, blog posting hate mongers, are in fact the losers. You need serious medication and therapy, or that useless hatred will cause you a heart attack some day.
Someone who is paid by individual raised funds for a non profit organization that was created by citizens is absolutely an amazing thing. To point that out as the same as busing in unions is just ignorance at its finest. Go find a non profit that doesn’t raise funds to pay their employees, you dumb ass.
And erroneous to who?
Industrial park?
Does anyone here know what they are talking about?
Does anyone have the DDDB IP Address? How many of these Anti -AY posts come from Goldstein and his 399 friends?
The only BS campaigning i see is from DDDB and posts like yours and 3PM’s posts. ha-ha, your such morons yet you claim the residents of Brooklyn are uneducated. You people are selfish low lives who shit in wine glasses and smell it because you think it smells great. Lets be real 95% of BK wants this project built, the only people that don’t are misinformed morons such as yourself. This is an economically viable project. Brooklyn wants a sports team and needs new housing; the congestion argument is just silly. If you don’t want congestion move to upstate or Ohio. Lets check the IP addresses of hose who are against the project, I wonder how many of those comments are registered to Daniel of DDB and his shill. Done.