Extell on the Atlantic Yards Process
The Observer’s Eliot Brown sat down earlier this week with Extell Development’s Gary Barnett. Among other topics of conversation was the company’s failed bid (rendered above) for the Atlantic Yards project. With regard to Atlantic yards in Brooklyn—you put in the only rival bid to Forest City Ratner’s $4 billion proposal. Why did you enter…
The Observer’s Eliot Brown sat down earlier this week with Extell Development’s Gary Barnett. Among other topics of conversation was the company’s failed bid (rendered above) for the Atlantic Yards project.
With regard to Atlantic yards in Brooklyn—you put in the only rival bid to Forest City Ratner’s $4 billion proposal. Why did you enter the bid?
The MTA put out an RFP [Request for Proposals] in the same way they did on the Hudson Yards, we responded the same way.
But a lot of people viewed that as a foregone conclusion before the RFP was even issued. Did you not agree with that?
I hope we don’t have a foregone conclusion on the Hudson Yards. That would make at least four bidders very sad.
The city and the state haven’t partnered with a developer publicly beforehand. What type of chance did you think you had on Atlantic Yards? Did you think that was something of a long shot? You said so, if I remember, in your cover letter [for the bid].
We are shocked—shocked—that we bid $150 million, [Forest City Chairman Bruce] Ratner bid $50 million, yet he somehow managed to get it.
In almost any community meeting for Atlantic Yards, Extell’s name comes up—still.
I think we had a very nice plan and use for that space as well then, but we know when we’re beat.
Ever the politician himself, Barnett goes on to refuse to be critical of the government’s handling of process.
Interview with Extell’s Gary Barnett [NY Observer]
Extell Bid for Yards Three Times Greater than FCR’s [Brownstoner]
They are not stealing. All processions are legal. In case you hadn’t heard, eminent domain is part of the US constitution.
dddb has been divisive in the community?
are they the ones stealing people’s property and state monies?
Because they are still in the process of demolition.
Donedeal? That’s funny… then why aren’t they building yet?
Whatever you feel about DDDb (personally, while I admire their continued resistance to the Ratner plan, I believe they’ve been deeply divisive within the local community), you really can’t accuse them of being against development at the railyards site “under any circumstances” — per 5:00pm poster. They played a role in convincing Extell to submit a bid. I haven’t spoken to anyone in the neighborhood (where I’ve lived for 8 years) — with perhaps the exception of some Newswalk residents whose views would be wiped out — who is against development there. The NIMBY argument is really just a red herring by those who are apparently unconcerned about the lack of public process and the use of taxpayers’ monies to fund a private, for-profit developer.
11:56 – the ‘true’ AY opponents (DDDB et al) were simply against the arena (under any circumstances) and picked up every issue they could find (ED, context, terrorism, Sewage treatment, traffic, shadows, etc, etc,) to forward their NIMBY agenda.
is that rip van winkle?
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz……
wake me up at the tipoff.
Ratner’s two biggest projects in Brooklyn, MetroDreck and Atlantic Yards both require(d) eminent domain, whereas the Extell plan…didn’t. How about that!
Just that alone is enough evidence that Ratner is about greed and abuse.
PLUS Ratner’s crapchitect Gehry isn’t doing anybody any favors.