Hearing for Lingering Atlantic Yards Case
Atlantic Yards Report has a lengthy piece on yesterday’s hearing in Manhattan Supreme Court on one of the only remaining legal challenges against the mega-project. The main issue yesterday, according to AY Report: “A lawyer for the community coalition BrooklynSpeaks assailed a ‘cover up’ by the Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC) over the legitimacy of…
Atlantic Yards Report has a lengthy piece on yesterday’s hearing in Manhattan Supreme Court on one of the only remaining legal challenges against the mega-project. The main issue yesterday, according to AY Report: “A lawyer for the community coalition BrooklynSpeaks assailed a ‘cover up’ by the Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC) over the legitimacy of the ESDC’s response to a court order requiring it to explain why it didn’t need issue a Supplementary Environmental Impact Statement to study the impact of a potential 25-year buildout.” After hearing from lawyers representing the community groups and the ESDC and Forest City Ratner, the judge “heard a request for a stay on Atlantic Yards construction—a request with the provision that ongoing arena construction could continue—but did not indicate when she’d rule.”
Inconclusive Hearing Over AY Timetable Impacts [AY Report]
Photo from AtlanticYards.com
“People with a brain will take the subway. People with less of a brain will drive once and from then on take the subway, if it’s really that big a nightmare.”
You underestimate the love of outer borough people and their cars.
BHS- I don’t think Ratner cared beyond making money, period. Does anyone really believe he went into this worrying about us “little people?” Do I think he’s evil? No.
Do I think he greedy and full of himself? Yes. He destroyed a neighborhood that was coming back, he ripped down architecturally significant buildings, newly renovated ones and kicked people out of their homes, while threatening eminent domain and playing the race card.
Ask me if I think he is a cynical, double dealing, money pig who has no intention of fulfilling his promises,paying for the air rights or generating money for the City- Yep. That’s exactly what I think.
ENY- I don’t expect them to be worrying about the implications- nor would I blame them for accepting the jobs. In fact, it isn’t their job to think about it- but it is my job as a taxpayer and for our public “representatives.” And frankly, we got screwed on this deal- and a few low level jobs isn’t going to fix that.
It is pretty clear what happened to the time lines – the real estate financing market collapsed.
I am not saying that FCR should not be held accountable for deals they made, but it is not like this is some evil plot by Bruce Ratner to personally screw over the people by delaying the project.
I’m sure that FCR would love to have the financing and market in place to build these things now so they can start generating a profit.
As I have said before, I think the project will be good for Brooklyn and NYC in the long term.
However, it is also a textbook example of to not do a huge private-public project.
I only hope that in a the next few years public leaders and planners can get beneath the sound bites and name calling and learn some valuable lessons from this.
When this whole thing started, it was not a stadium for the Nets that was the centerpiece, it was housing. Gleaming towers of housing that were supposed to bring people into the area. The stadium, the office and retail space was icing on the cake, and a financial cherry on top, a reward for all of the public money that was going to go into this.
Remember the renderings mailed to everyone in Brooklyn? With happy, attractive young couples of all races and creeds, with laughing children on their shoulders, and in hand, living amongst the architectural splendor of Frank Gehry’s genius. Private expanses of lawn, and AFFORDABLE HOUSING!
Housing and jobs. Good jobs in construction, then in the businesses that were going to move into the offices and stores, not to mention the stadium. FCR got their basketball stars and rap singers and community activists out to make this all about a project that would benefit lower income minorities, while at the same time touting the joys of living in a fabu Frank Gehry high rise to the affluent. When everyone didn’t genuflect, then it turned into a class and race battle for Brooklyn.
So, yeah, like Johnny, Bxgrl, Bkhabitat, g-man and others, I’m not going to apologize for opposing this shell game. The last law suite’s about holding their feet to the fire as to when they are actually going to build HOUSING? The very reason for the whole project in the first place? Amazing.
Bxgrl, I was reacting to your saying the arena project would not provide anything in return. That wouldn’t be true for the person I described.
Did Ratner get a sweetheart deal? Of course he did! Let’s not pretend that doesn’t happen with big-shot developers in NYC every day. And I appreciate that some folks want to fight against that sort of thing. Fine.
But if a person needed a job, and found that the arena happened to provide one, I’m, sure they wouldn’t be worrying about the implications of Ratner’s sweetheart deal, they’d be glad they landed some epmloyment. I wouldn’t call that “nothing.”
so if it’s too late, done deal, etc on yanking public funding, just build the fucker already. if the money is effectively spent, lets move onto to gap closure – ie the sooner this is done, the sooner the state gets some tax rev on it
ENY- I’ve been in that position too- but that wasn’t really my point. I just think that if people are so fired up over the benefits of AY, they should be holding his feet to the fire and making sure he gives back – and more than just some low-level jobs.
At this point all the public funding and eminent domain lawsuits have run into dead ends.
The current lawsuit (I think the only one still alive) is over the timetable for the housing development and if information was withheld over the impact of the delays.