Atlantic Yards: Time to Take a Shower
Regardles of whether you’re for, againt or somewhere in the middle on the Atlantic Yards project, it’s hard not to be disgusted by the transparent dog-and-pony show that’s gone on in recent days culminating in FRC “accepting” the city planning commission’s recommendation of a 8% cut in the scale of the project. Kinda makes you…
Regardles of whether you’re for, againt or somewhere in the middle on the Atlantic Yards project, it’s hard not to be disgusted by the transparent dog-and-pony show that’s gone on in recent days culminating in FRC “accepting” the city planning commission’s recommendation of a 8% cut in the scale of the project. Kinda makes you feel like you want to take a shower. Opponents have been warning of this political gamesmanship for a while–ask for the moon and then look like you have compromised when you agree to a smaller size. It’s pretty disgusting stuff and frankly we had thought Amanda Burden (who had always struck us as a pretty straight shooter) was above that. Apparently not.
AY Developer Acepts 8% Reduction [NY Times]
Eryximachus ,
I generally agree with your points, but the problem that a lot of people, myself included, have with the ratner project is that is has enmeshed the public and private spheres.
The idea of using eminent domain and taking a lower bid are really disturbing.
Alo, you argument makes no sense.
1) Housing busts are what have made this city. If it wasn’t for greedy landlords building too much luxury housing, many of the ghettoes of this city wouldn’t exist. Look at Harlem. We need Ratner to build 100 atlantic yards projects. Then, and only then, will normal middle class people be able to afford a home in this city.
2) Affordable housing doesn’t matter. It will become affordable when there is enough of it. Have you taken Economics 101? Housing is expensive because there is a shortage! Price restrictions are never the answer, and have never worked. What are you, a communist?
3) Umm, people need jobs. Temporary jobs are better than none at all. We need more housing in this city for the economy to continue to grow. The jobs aspect is wholly secondary to the squalor people are living in. You wouldn’t know this because you are a rich do-gooder who lives in a housing unit 95% of New Yorkers could never possibly afford.
No one in the late 20’s living in a shared apartment would hold such an insane view as yours.
NO DEVELOPMENT EVER LEADS TO BLIGHT.
A 1,000 high rise apartment buildings would have to be built before there was ever blight in this city. If Ratner goes bankrupt, who cares.
It’s funny no matter how many times I post this no Ratnerites have ever been able to refute this. So all together now:
1. There is a housing bust in progress – Ratner is cutting the size of the project (and will likely cut more) because it’s not going to be profitable for him to build in a down market – with construction costs rising. So any altruistic notions about his ‘cut’ are the purest BS.
2. Ratner has absolutly no obligation to provide any affordable housing – in fact his agreement allows him to opt out of it if “market conditions change.” Ratner has not and will not agree to guarantee ANY affordable housing units under this plan.
3. The union construction guys are testifying at these meetings becase they are the ones who will reap the benefits of the plan – with TEMPORARY jobs-there will be a hot dog vendor job for someone in Fort Greene – that’s about it. If reporters on this story didn’t have their heads lodged assward (or their asses pocketward in Ratner’s jacket) they’d actually give a count of what these allegedly permanent jobs are and who will get them.
Wake up folks, and smell the economy. This area is not blighted as of now, but if you let Ratner build under these conditions, I can guarantee he’ll blight it for you.
These public-private deals are evil. Clearly, no one beleives that this is the best deal for the city. And, the result is going to be twisted into something freakish too, in order to satisfy so many masters. It’s a tremendous abuse of goverment power when people can get moved out of their homes because of one developer’s connections.
But..
“another issue is that this is just yet another development tossing thousands of luxury units into the market, just as there is a slowdown due to the glut of new-development.”
That shouldn’t be anyone’s concern besides the developer’s. If people want it, the will buy it.
But, if Ratner was doing this without dipping into the public trough, then this would be false:
” Ratner will make hundreds of millions of dollars off of this deal, whether it succeeds OR NOT.”
AND another issue is that this is just yet another development tossing thousands of luxury units into the market, just as there is a slowdown due to the glut of new-development. Ratner will make hundreds of millions of dollars off of this deal, whether it succeeds OR NOT. It hardly matters to him whether AY turns out well, or is needed by the community or instead taxes the infrastructure too much. He gets paid regardless. Just look at Atlantic Center – it’s a failure, and he doesn’t care at all.
Exactly. The issue has nothing to do with the NIMBY’s it’s about abuse of eminent domain. And everyone should be absolutely alarmed at how freely and without any obstruction at all in our city government, these developers were able to utilize eminent domain.
Well, first off, I can’t subscribe to the theory that if FCR can pay for it, they can do what they like. There are limits on free market enterprise — especially when this project involves building the most dense urban tract in the nation (more than twice as dense as the current recordholder in Central Harlem). Then there’s the tiny, tiny issue that none of us (Jane and Joe Public) knows how this project will be financed or what the cost to the taxpayer will be. Why are people so anxious to endorse a plan that is likely to require hundreds of millions of OUR dollars?
“That and using eminent domain.”
Josh – damn straight – if the properties that the state wants to seize are ‘blighted’ then NO home is safe – you don’t have real ownership of your home anymore.
I wish they would build a golf course over the atlantic yards. I am serious.