Atlantic Yards: Beneficiary or Victim of Economy?
Reason number 14 to love New York: “Because sometimes immense, gratuitous, noncontextual acts of real-estate ego don’t pan out.” Those adjectives belong to New York magazine, pointing out that Ratner’s “$4.2 billion, 22-acre combination of residential towers and office buildings, anchored by a basketball arena for the Nets, was supposed to completely transform downtown Brooklyn—with…
Reason number 14 to love New York: “Because sometimes immense, gratuitous, noncontextual acts of real-estate ego don’t pan out.” Those adjectives belong to New York magazine, pointing out that Ratner’s “$4.2 billion, 22-acre combination of residential towers and office buildings, anchored by a basketball arena for the Nets, was supposed to completely transform downtown Brooklyn—with seemingly little thought given to what it might do to the already paralyzed intersection of Atlantic and Flatbush Avenues.” Though the lawsuits against the project “never got any real traction,” they did indeed delay the project, they write, until the market changed. “At the moment, the old neighborhood is winning. Score two points for entropy.” Is this a victory for opponents? A pit-stop on the way to development? Construction may be a while off, but demolition is long underway.
Because Sometimes Immense, Gratuitous, Noncontextual Acts Of Real-estate Ego Don’t Pan Out [New York]
Oops- I see MM also got the crushed paper idea :-). Gehery was a real disappointment this time. I know many of his buildings have problems with construction, but some of them are just so spectacular. I saw one rendering of the aena that really made it look incredible but the overall design and concept- ugh.
No one wants a hole in the ground, but Ratner’s project was really much more about ego, than intelligent civic design. If the area has to wait awhile longer for the right project, so be it. Whatever goes up there, we’ll be living with for a long, long time so it needs to be right for the area and the city.
bkn4life you wrote:
I smell a class action suit coming regarding arbitrary rules for blight determination that gracie mansion wouldnt pass.
When they want to file that one, ill jump in also as it impacts EVERYONE in the city.
———-
That blight challenge is pending a decision from the appellate division. The account of the Sept. 17 courtroom argument is here:
http://atlanticyardsreport.blogspot.com/2008/09/in-appeal-of-case-challenging-ay.html
So, it has been filed. If you would like to jump in, that is still possible by helping with the legal fees for the community-funded suit. Just visit:
http://www.dddb.net/donate
Frankly if it were just the Miss Brooklyn tower and the arena I could live with it. It would still be non contextual but Gehry is never contextual and those two buildings are the best of the lot. Would at least be interesting/eye catching.
Brenda, my cat ate the homework- after doing unspeakable things to it. I apologize for the inconvenience and will remake it. It will be a better design next time and look more like real architecture than crushed pieces of paper and ups boxes. And I won’t even charge you for materials this time. After I take the cat to the vet- he seems kinda sick at the moment.
-brucie ratner
Very funny Brenda, you are on a roll today. This is the truest thing NY Mag has said in a while.
Seeing the model just makes me wonder even more than when they first unveiled it – what was Frank Gehry thinking? Sometimes when the idea well is dry, walk away. I just picture him sketching a couple of ideas, not liking them and balling them up to do a Nets-like toss into the wastebasket. The paper misses, rolls on the floor against the basket. Gehry looks, jumps up, and screams, “that’s it! That’s the design for AY!.” Sheesh!
As long as ratner has to play with his own money, the deal is dead as it ought to be.
As long as the opposition has lawsuits up their sleeve this will remain so.
I smell a class action suit coming regarding arbitrary rules for blight determination that gracie mansion wouldnt pass.
When they want to file that one, ill jump in also as it impacts EVERYONE in the city.
NY Mag PIECE, not pied, of course.
Brenda, very funny.
as for the NY Mag pied, lawsuits shouldn’t be discussed in the past tense. there are 3 pending suits.
Dear, would you please take that project off the kitchen table and put it somewhere? …I don’t know where, just somewhere else, because it’s dinnertime and we have to set the table. Now that the school fair is over, frankly, and everyone’s seen it, you might want to just put it in the recycling, or give it to your little brother to play with.