Barclays Center Rising
This photo is the best one we’ve seen of the progress at the Barclays Center, the future home of The Nets and the first piece of the Atlantic Yards project. And it should: It was sent out by someone in-house to potential buyers of basketball tickets yesterday!
This photo is the best one we’ve seen of the progress at the Barclays Center, the future home of The Nets and the first piece of the Atlantic Yards project. And it should: It was sent out by someone in-house to potential buyers of basketball tickets yesterday!
I also have to add that Lenore’s comparison of the 50,080 seat Yankee STADIUM and the 18,000 seat Barclays ARENA in Prospect Heights Brooklyn is a terrible side by side comparison, not only in terms of size of the facility itself, but in the neighborhoods surrounding each venue.
No comparison at all, in my opinion and a grasping for straws.
Amen, arch66.
Attitudes here toward government are depressing. Definitely not helped by schmucky politicians, but seems to indicate a culture adrift and unmoored from civic values. It irritates me to think that people claim to be “self-made” when in reality, they were given the opportunity to succeed (and fail) by a society in which public education, roads, waste collection, fire and police protection are the norm. We are a selfish bunch for sure. Here’s Paul McCartney: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYclfE6sd4U
fsrq and Benson – I appreciate your thoughtful responses. It makes sense to me that the state should have a certain degree of ability to act in the public’s interest on behalf of us all, even if that affects some people more than others – in a way, wisely balancing that tension between the individual and the collective defines good government. However, the Supreme Court’s Kelo decision expanded the powers of the state greatly to use ED for “public purposeâ€; it didn’t just reaffirm venerable past laws. This is why the vast majority of states (I think it was actually 43 at last count)have now passed their own state laws in response, specifically narrowing the basis for ED. Of course, NY hasn’t passed any, because NY state legislators are too beholden to the real estate industry and other deep pockets.
The Kelo decision also laid out a series of pre-conditions under which ED for “public purpose†could be permitted, which AY violated with impunity – for starters, the project would have to have been conceived and planned by elected leaders and then bid out, not conceived and planned by a private entity on a “great piece of real estate†for its own profit.
True, arenas have been considered a “public purpose†in the past. But evidence for this “public purpose†is non-existent. This may all be legal, but it’s not right.
Stopping AY and advocating for better legislation in NY aren’t mutually exlcusive. How do you know how much any member or supporter of BBBD has attempted to advocate for changed legislation also? However, changed legislation is very unlikely in Albany, which has shown absolutely no interest in addressing this issue. Not likely to, either, unless the public demands it very loudly, very often and can come up with as deep pockets as those who have already bought Albany.
benson- They got Hollywood types to counter Ratners list of powerful, butt-kissing friends. And why should it be their responibility? ED was one of a whole lot of AY issues they were dealing with- your point really isn’t valid. And since you also think the law needs to be changed, what are you doing about it?
Dibs- *sigh* never.
I agree DeLepp. In fact that point is one of the few things I agree with the Tea party about. (That ought to send a few of you into shock :))
“benson- when did these people have the time or the money to do that too? ”
Are you kidding me? Perhaps they could have spared some time from recruiting Hollywood types to their “cause-du-jour”? Perhaps once they got these celebrities on board, they could have used their notoriety to press for legislative changes.
Finally, perhaps Danny Boy could use devote some of his new-found wealth to the cause.
bxgrl, that’s why I’m for sending less mula to swamp 1(dc) or swamp 2(albany). Why give them the oppty when they’ve proven time and time again many are only out to replenish their bank accounts/future lobbyist bills.
bxgrl…when has a politician ecver acted “for the good of us all?”
DeLepp- it seems in NY we have an overabundance of schmucks and very few people really interested in actually working for the good of us all. I could say the same about Washington too actually. Not a great choice between Schmuck A or Schmuck B.