George Will on Atlantic Yard's 'Cognitive Dissonance'
“The Atlantic Yards site, where 10 subway lines and one railway line converge, is the center of the bustling Prospect Heights neighborhood of mostly small businesses and middle-class residences. Its energy and gentrification are reasons why 22 acres of this area — the World Trade Center site is only 16 acres — are coveted by…
“The Atlantic Yards site, where 10 subway lines and one railway line converge, is the center of the bustling Prospect Heights neighborhood of mostly small businesses and middle-class residences. Its energy and gentrification are reasons why 22 acres of this area — the World Trade Center site is only 16 acres — are coveted by Bruce Ratner, a politically connected developer collaborating with the avaricious city and state governments. To seize the acres for Ratner’s use, government must claim that the area — which is desirable because it is vibrant — is “blighted.” The cognitive dissonance would embarrass Ratner and his collaborating politicians, had their cupidity not extinguished their sense of the absurd.” — George Will in The Washington Post
D-O-N-E-D-E-A-L!!!
I want the AY project to go forward; however, there is no reason at all to have to use eminent domain to do so. The actual rail yards are a pretty depressing no man’s land between neighborhoods where you can pay $2MM for a rowhouse. The reason it is an attractive sight to FCR is the transportation access and the vibrant expensive brownstone neighborhoods surrounding it.
I don’t like the apparent backroom dealing, the failure of the MTA to consider other serious, higher (and IMO better) offers (i.e. Extell), and frankly don’t like the idea of an arena at all – would that it were a museum, park, or more housing.
But that’s neither here nor there. My main issue is the unnecessary use of eminent domain. That’s just greed. Why does the condo building of DG need to be razed, or the block of buildings with Freddy’s? Build within the existing enormous footprint without knocking down the old bakery or other buildings that are (or were pre-FCR) used for residences and/or businesses.
good grief.
First of all.. the AY are a ugly hideous hole in the ground which meet every worthwhile definition of “blight” one could apply… particularly when dead center of a highly residential area.
Anyone who genuinely thinks the Yards themselves arent blight should consider a move to many of our nations less valuable yet just as wonderfull train yard areas, or perhaps a nice stay in a lovely aprtment beneath a freight train bridge would be amenable to you.
The issue with Ratner is he’s used Public domain to seize not ONLY the yards but the perfectly viable housing units adjacent to them. This is in my opinion horribly wrong and a fundemental problem with Eminent Domain…
I would have no problem at all with them building a platform over the yards themselves and putting up the building they proposed (i didnt mind the designs so far)… mainly as i would consider that a gigantic improvement over the utter crap-pile that exists there today (and ive lived nearby for a loooonnggg time).
But the land grab on a couple of the brownstone blocks through ED was just wrong… had ratner bought out those buidlings with ED… then fine… but he didnt, he used a state organ and politcal connections to essentially dis-enfranchise less powerful people of their rightfull property… something that should frighten all of us.
ED was NEVER intended to be used as a cudgel for financial gain… it was meant to service the ENTIRE public as whole with generally fundementally important improvements that could not otherwise be built at all. In my opinion Ratner could have built over the yards ALONE just fine. it was sheer greed that extended his range into the actual brownstones.
And by the way… “middle income” housing should be no better or less protected than lower or upper income housing. Though its never the case, ED should be blind to how wealthy the effected people are. There are MANY poor places in this country which have better and more beautiful housing stock more worthy of protected status than their wealthier neighbors.
“I’m sure that advice is given with the intention that we [conservatives]win some elections, right???”
Even though I’m a liberal, I’d welcome the chance for “old school” conservatives to win some elections. It’s the ultra right wing radicals [aka “spittle-flecked demagogues”], pretending to be conservatives, who really scare me. It shouldn’t be a tragedy for either losing side when one party or another wins an election. That’s why (IMO, of course) real conservatives have to either take back the Republican party from the nut jobs OR start a new party that will replace the GOP as a second party, the way the republicans replaced the Whigs 150 years ago.
Speaking of cognitive dissonance, I’m having a hard time processing the fact that I’m basically in agreement with Petulant White Boy George Will.
blowfish- I think the main point, for me anyway, is just when this neighborhood was designated “blighted.” Because I had been through this area many many times and before Ratner announced AY and began tearing down buildings and kicking out tenants, it looked like an up and coming neighborhood. Older buildings were being bought and re-purposed, businesses were coming back, even the much maligned gentrifyers were moving in. All that came to a screeching halt. AY and all of its issues and implications will be more a showcase for our priorities and shortcomings, than Ratner’s success as a developer. Can’t wait till the guys in togas come out and toss people to the lions. I wonder if Ratner plays the fiddle? 🙂
There has been a public outcry since Kelso — with numerous states enacting restrictions on the government’s power to seize private property under eminent domain. Ironically — the site at the heart of the Kelso case still remains undeveloped and the corporation that was to benefit has moved out of New London. Karma.
New York’s law remains suspect to a constitutional challenge. As a tea leaf reader I’m hoping George Will’s article is setting the stage for it to be overturned. I’m also hoping that, given the growing outrage on both the left and the old school right, the money developers such as Ratner throw at politicians will no longer provide enough cover for them to steal from private landowners and the public till. While I am not usually on the side of Mr. Will, I do love baseball. Thanks George — we need your voice.
Maybe to locals, calling it the center of Prospect Heights in spin. I think the real debate here is whether or not the AY area is destitute enough to be considered blighted. Its at the intersection of Prospect Heights, Park Slope, Boerum Hill, and Fort Greene– all bustling neighborhoods. Its hard to see the argument that in the interstices of these up and coming neighborhoods were permanently stagnant, doomed to fail, and a danger, which is really what should be the threshold for ED. I think its dangerous to say pockets of low-income housing and some hot spots for ordinary street crime– not outliers of street crime– are enough to call the whole swath, which encompasses part of all 4 neighborhoods– blighted. I think bxgirl summed it up well. I think there are valid points on both sides, i just think fsrg misses all of them.
I doubt George Will has ever been to the site or knows much about it. Whatever you feel about eminent domain, very little is being used. Large section of the development area is over railyards and almost rest of it was bought.
I do see the constant spin by wanting to label it as ‘Prospect Heights’ or as George calling it middle of that neighborhood.