PACB Gives Ratner What He Wants
After an Oscar-worthy head fake on Tuesday, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, along with the two other members of the Public Authorities Control Board, George Pataki and Joseph Bruno, gave the thumbs up to Bruce Ratner’s vision for Atlantic Yards. “I am pleased the developer is committed to addressing numerous community concerns through several specific actions…
After an Oscar-worthy head fake on Tuesday, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, along with the two other members of the Public Authorities Control Board, George Pataki and Joseph Bruno, gave the thumbs up to Bruce Ratner’s vision for Atlantic Yards. “I am pleased the developer is committed to addressing numerous community concerns through several specific actions that will result in significant neighborhood improvements,” said Silver. Last time we checked, traffic congestion, overcrowded schools and a surfeit of chain stores didn’t exactly qualify as improvements (though there were some last minute changes, including 200 more units of affordable housing and $3 million more for improvements to neighboring parks) but then again, pols who live upstate must have a better grasp of what’s better for Brooklyn than the four assembly members closest to the site. So where does this leave those who oppose the project? Eminent domain lawsuits, scale negotiations and a guy named Spitzer. From the beginning, the project has been a public-private partnership in which the public has not been represented, said Kent Barwick, president of the Municipal Art Society. The vote today reflected a process that simply did not allow New Yorkers to shape the project, and the result is a plan that will not work for Brooklyn.
State Approves Major Complex for Brooklyn [NY Times]
NY Board Approves Atlantic Yards Plan [Bloomberg]
The Nets Win! [NY Post]
Photo by f.trainer
Traffic will be backed up well into Queens. 🙂
To all of you posters from Queens: It sure is heartwarming that you’re in no way happy about our misfortune and take absolutely no delight in profiting at the expense of others.
Yeah, I’m sure the stormtroopers are throwing a bag over anon 10:10’s head even as I type this. Have fun in Gitmo.
Yes, it’s a shame that no home is safe from being purchased for double the market value by FCR. I really, really feel for those victims.
“especially landmarked areas that can’t be f’d up with opportunistic development.”
Nothing is safe from the ESDC which can over-ride local laws – and corrupt politicians – nothing
I would hate to use the over used ‘tippping point’ but with the debabcle in iraq on the federal level (which the democrats will not fix) with the corruption – represented by AY on the state and local level, democracy is on its way to failure in the US
what AY represents is a new form of government – in which revenue hungry politicians team up with developers and fund their projects with tax payer money. the projects skirt public approval by using TIFs. What AY symbolizes is that NO HOME NO PROPERTY is safe from Forest City and other influential developers. Does that make you feel good?
the “democracy” part doesn’t work without ethics and you can’t have ‘ethics’ when you have unelected officials, and corrupt politicians that have the power will screw over constituencies outside their districts – like Silver did.
Get a gun you’re going to need it.
To NIMBY whiners loose 9:43am:
I hope you need the help of an ambulance or a fire truck one day during a Nets game. Maybe then you will realize how far reaching the effects of traffic congestion can be…..
Hard to say if your prop value will drop. If you are very close to the construction site and want to sell in the next 5 years, could be a problem. If you are in the proximity, but not too close, it will likely result in increases in property values, especially landmarked areas that can’t be f’d up with opportunistic development.
Traffic? I don’t give a rat’s ass about traffic. I live in Ft. Greene and the value of my home is about to plummet. And you think I’m worried about traffic?
Get real!