DDDB Signs On Brooklyn Star Power for AY Fight
The group most widely associated with the fight against Bruce Ratner’s proposed Atlantic Yards project just made a big move to broaden its public appeal by putting together a 33-member advisory board studded with such high-profile Brooklynites as Steve Buscemi, Heath Ledger and Jonathan Safran Foer. Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn (DDDB) is hoping the addition…
The group most widely associated with the fight against Bruce Ratner’s proposed Atlantic Yards project just made a big move to broaden its public appeal by putting together a 33-member advisory board studded with such high-profile Brooklynites as Steve Buscemi, Heath Ledger and Jonathan Safran Foer. Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn (DDDB) is hoping the addition of the celebs will make it harder for Ratner and others to portray the group as some fly-by-night lightweight organization and provide some counter-balance to the starpower Ratner himself has enlisted to sell his vision to the borough. One new board member, actress (and Ledger fiancee) Michelle Williams, isn’t too keen on what the development would mean for her newly adopted neighborhood of Boerum Hill: “His vision will increase traffic, pollution and asthma,” she said. “If Mr. Ratner lived here, he would understand what we love about it and why we want to preserve our open skies.” “It’s very frustrating to realize that something with such a massive scale can be imposed upon from people who don’t live here,” said author and Fort Greene resident Jhumpa Lahiri. Maybe all these stars can pool some funds together to offer Bertha Lewis more money to sell out to them than Ratner did. Heck, Heath could even throw in a kiss that would top the smacker Lewis gave Ratner last year!
Celebs Join Ratner Foes [NY Daily News]
Announcement of Advisory Board Formation [DDDB]
At this point there are only a few property owners left in the footprint, and one of them is D. Goldstein, whose financialy security is well known. Everyone who has sold to Ratner has been paid well above the value of their property. Renters will get relocation assistance, which is far more than other renters get in NYC after being forced out of apartments (i.e. by rising rents). And eminent domain has NOT been used.
It boggles my mind that someone actually believes that a small, powerless group of yuppies could stop AY from being realized. It’s just my opinion, but that’s why I said it was “a laugh”.
what’s so funny about it? That a guy who can buy and sell Brooklyn a thousand times over can push his weight around while you, dumb taxpayer, get to foot a lot of his bills? You know what they say- you don’t get to be that powerful by being a nice guy. Wonder how many others he’s screwed while ninnies like you sit there and applaud.
That’s a laugh! DDDB is holding bake sales, gardening events, and flea markets to raise money. Clearly, they lack the funds to win a battle with a billionaire who enjoys the support of the city’s and state’s most powerful politicians. They have absolutely no chance of stopping this project.
Now, maybe if Dan Goldstein, Patti Hagan, or Lumi Rolley sold their real estate assets and donated them to the fight, then they could be contenders…
They never claimed to be a broad scale advocate. And since they are a neighborhood group, why should they be going all over Bklyn? They have a huge battle on their hands as it is and I’m sure they are stretched to the max.So the only point being made is to make DDDB look bad by any means necessary (no, David I am not DG btw). To me, it seems like people are worried DDDB can stop the project because they are actually raising legitimate questions that Pro-AYers can’t answer. So you find it easier to denigrate and demonize them.
The original point was that DDDB is concerned solely with Atlantic Yards and cares nothing about other real estate developments. David challenged everyone to name any project other than those related to (i.e. opposed to) AY that DDDB supported; thus far, no one has named a single development. That’s the case because DDDB cares about
“responsible development” only as far as it affects them personally. That’s why their representatives were absent from the groundbreaking of the condo towers near Flatbush and Tillary – something that Marty Markowitz made a point of highlighting. If they truly cared about “responsible development” on a broad scale, then it would be easy to compile a list of projects that they support. Classic case of NIMBY.
DDDB came up in response to Ratner. They felt a need, so your point about Extel being generated in response and not out of a genuine desire to see “responsible development” flies out the window. They do have a genuine desire to see responsible development, and the issue goes beyond eminent domain (which, in this case I object to). It has to do with the size and scale of the development, tax abatements, infrastructure issues, etc. You may not like what DDDB is doing but then again, they don’t like what Ratner is doing. I guess you’re all about even.
Most of the so-called “private land” in the footprint (much of it owned by Ratner) is NOT comprised of brownstones or any buildings worth preserving. The only stretch that could be seen as somewhat scenic is the North side of Dean Street, between 6th and Flatbush, and even part of that is ugly and commercial. The rest of the footprint is as follows:
Pacific, between Fifth and Sixth: all ugly warehouses (commercial and residential).
Pacific, between Carlton and Vanderbilt: all old warehouses and 3-4 decrepit apartment buildings.
Dean, between Carlton and Vanderbilt(only the North side is in the footprint): all old warehouses.
Vanderbilt, between Pacific and Dean (west side): decrepit apartment buildings, a restaurant that’s been closed for years, and a vacant lot (SW corner).
The rest: train yards.
If the footprint contained block after block of gorgeous brownstones like the type found in Bed-Stuy, Crown Heights, or Park Slope, then I might concede your point. But anyone who has taken time and explored what is actually in the footprint knows damn well that it’s hardly worth saving.
No, I’m not an architect, nor do I need to be one in order to have a a valid opinion on this topic. The UNITY Plan never had any financial backers, hence my labelling of it as an intellectual exercise. I never denied the legitimacy of the Extel Plan, just mentioned that it originated in response to Ratner, rather than being generated on the part of DDDB out of a genuine desire to see “responsible development”.
FYI, I own in Prospect Heights and have no plans to move, AY or no AY, and that is why I won’t be clamoring to live in the towers once they are built. But if I were in the market for a new home, I’d definitely be open to living there.
And your point? What’s wrong with trying to preserve as much of brownstone Brooklyn as possible? I don’t notice people like you or David rushing to move into one of those huge hi-rises. Very Do As I say, Not As I do, isn’t it?
BTW are you an architect or engineer? How do you know if the UNITY or Extell plans are unbuildable? Because they don’t have an arena? Soooo sad for you.
DDDB is reactive, not active, and is focused soley on AY. They didn’t exist until Ratner unveiled the AY plan and the only developments they’ve approved are mere intellectual exercises (the UNITY plan) or were drummed up in opposition to Ratner (the Extell plan). Otherwise, they don’t seem to care about any other developments, but if they did, you can bet that it would be only those in “brownstone Brooklyn”.