Atlantic Yards: The Play-by-Play
“You can sue, sue, sue—but nothing ruins megaplans like a crashing economy.” So goes the sub-head of New York Magazine’s historical timeline of the Atlantic Yards saga prompted, presumably, by architect Frank Gehry’s much-blogged blooper, I don’t think [Atlantic Yards] is going to happen. Atlantic Yards, Inch by Inch [New York Magazine] Atlantic Yards: The…
“You can sue, sue, sue—but nothing ruins megaplans like a crashing economy.” So goes the sub-head of New York Magazine’s historical timeline of the Atlantic Yards saga prompted, presumably, by architect Frank Gehry’s much-blogged blooper, I don’t think [Atlantic Yards] is going to happen.
Atlantic Yards, Inch by Inch [New York Magazine]
Atlantic Yards: The Past, Present & Future [Curbed]
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.
Damn – lets just go back to the 1970’s, lets break out the good ‘ol squeegie guys and their dirty rags, bring back graffiti tagged subway cars – hell lets bring back the gaurdian angeles and their red berets. Man how I miss those times, wondering which drug dealer, homeless vagrant or hell’s angel was going to stick me or rob me on my way home. Now those were the days…..I can dream.
I live 2.5 blocks from AY and have no interest whatsoever in the project. I can’t see what it will do to ‘improve’ the neighborhood.
New York loves it holes and we got another one to keep. In stead of being an international desternation it will be another ugly hole and Brooklyn can keep it poor LIRR schedule. In addition, we lost much needed housing and good well paying jobs. To me it is a real shame that Brooklyn losses out and Manhattan can maintain it’s stature over Brooklyn.
Bong,
I actually like the love the raw industrial buildings.
I did LIKE the previous grit and rawness of that AY area…just as I liked the raw vibe of old DUMBO before it became completely converted into yuppie condo town. DUMBO had that rare quality that carried the DNA of the Brooklyn waterfront…it sickens me now.
I had a dream where I walked east down Atlantic Ave. and there was a lot of old industrial buildings with open lots. I awoke with a great feeling of thrilled excitement and a great feeling of loss…that some of the best character of Brooklyn was being removed in order to homogenize the city.
Umm, Mr. Bong – I think people were upset precisely because the all-powerful government wanted to give this company public land and other private parties’ land. As far as I’m concerned, Ratner ca build at triple the density on land he has acquired legitimately from willing sellers. More power to him. It’s the give-away of MTA land, and the use of eminent domain for a private project, not a public purpose, that bugs me.
Wow – when did we start living in communist brooklyn. Please all powerful government, take away this private companies land becasue they are bad bad bad. Uncle Joe and Comrad Lenin are proud as hell. George Washington is probably spinning in his grave.
All:
Don’t think that Ratner is not counting on opponents being lulled into a sense of victory. The Atlantic Urban Renewal Area lay fallow for almost thirty years before the townhouses, Atlantic Terminal Mall and the Atlantic Mall were built. Let’s remember that Ratner STILL has site control. The AY footprint combined with the Modells and PC Richards buildings combined would be one humongous FAR nightmare. FCR and Ratner will not give up this site because it is SOOOOOOOO valuable for future development.
Those near and about the footprint as well as their elected officials need to make sure that the control of the arena footprint is wrested from Ratner to ensure their well being.
Actually fsrq I did care about Ward’s Bakery — I lived on Clermont between Greene and Fulton in the 1990s and always admired that building, which at the time was Pechter’s Breads, with a big neon sign on top.
And Ratner and FCR would never build anything they have to pay for with their own money on this site (especially now when they don’t have any).
Eventually they will begin selling the land (maybe even at a profit) — let’s just hope they sell it to people of good conscience.