Renewed Anger Over Atlantic Yards Claims
The clip above, from the soon-to-be-released “Battle of Brooklyn” documentary, illustrates how pro-Atlantic Yards boosterism leaned heavily on the number of jobs the project would create—claims that were called into question with yesterday’s news that developer Forest City Ratner is considering building a prefabricated housing tower. While the clip mostly focuses on assertions about how…
The clip above, from the soon-to-be-released “Battle of Brooklyn” documentary, illustrates how pro-Atlantic Yards boosterism leaned heavily on the number of jobs the project would create—claims that were called into question with yesterday’s news that developer Forest City Ratner is considering building a prefabricated housing tower. While the clip mostly focuses on assertions about how many jobs the arena will create, articles in Patch, The New York Times, and The Eagle highlight how the developer’s possible use of modular construction has reignited debate about Atlantic Yards. In the Patch story, Richard Weiss, a spokesman for Construction & General Building Laborers’ Local 79, has the following to say: “The union supports projects based on one criteria only: are there jobs for our members in this project? If that’s not the case, then we’re not going to support it.” Meanwhile, Candace Carponter, the legal director of Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn, tells the The Times: “With Ratner’s selling out of the unions, shelving of any office space and the scarcity of subsidies for housing, the community is left with the arena as the primary benefit, if you believe a traffic-choking, noise-generating, taxpayer-money-losing white elephant is somehow beneficial.” And to round it out, Councilwoman Letitia James is quoted in the Eagle as saying the prospect of the modular build adds to “a long list of failed promises” regarding the project.
New Attention for Atlantic Yards Project [NY Times]
Unions Outraged Over Ratner’s Prefab Tower [PS Patch]
Hint of Old-Time Ratner Debate Surfaces Again [Eagle]
Bruce Bender (and Elected Officials) on Jobs [Vimeo]
“What you just wrote is utter nonsense. By your logic a huge green expressway like the BQE is detrimental to an effective urban landscape and so we should be tearing down all the bleak neighborhoods that abut the BQE. Doesnt make sense at all. I am not against urban planning and development- I am against all the lies used to promote AY.”
did you type this with a straight face? Are you not familiar with the history of the BQE and how it literally destroyed and fragmented neighborhoods? This was Robert Moses’s “getting things done” at its finest.
I see absolutely no inconsistency.
Ratner said this would bring thousands of well-paying jobs – either a lie or a ridiculous exaggeration.
Ratner said he’d build affordable housing in exchange for hundreds of millions in subsidies. Most of which we’ve already given him – those plans have been all but eliminated.
Ratner said it’d be an economic engine of development – look at the history of stadiums and how they’ve actually hurt economic development
Ratner said it’d be beautiful – jesus, look at what we’re getting now. A stadium that’s an eyesore before it was built and prefab housing.
Delay Dont Develop Brooklyn and Tish James are full sh*t. As FSRQ pointed out, one the one hand, the critics say “There’s no affordable housing being built anytime soon…this is a bait and switch” Then Ratner comes up with this new modular approach which could result in the construction time being cut in half, and now the same critics say “you promised union jobs to build the affordable housing (as if they are card carrying union members)…this is a bait and switch!”. DDDB also complain, via their lawsuit, that the buildout of the entire project will take 25 years as opposed to 10 years…..WELL, if FCR goes modular, they CAN build the whole damn thing in 10 years.
I say they go modular, build the whole thing ASAP and wipe that eyesore of a footprint of the map.
The area around the railyards was unquestionably bleak before AY. But it was improving rapidly — with warehouse loft conversions and specialized small businesses moving in. It was an organic change, same as we’ve seen all over Brownstone Brooklyn. Now, however, the area is MORE bleak. FCR’s demolitions and neglect (falling masonry from the Ward Bakery, no snow clearance during the winter storms, interrupted utilities for those living nr the footprint on Dean St and Bergen St) have created new blight. Of course, that was always their plan since to justify eminent domain FCR had to claim the area was blighted.
I’m thrilled about the Nets coming to town and will be taking my sons for sure. It will be a happy day for Brooklyn when the arena is open and the team starts playing. I think the modular housing idea is great too–its time to get creative about building lower cost housing in this town!
Also, when comparing 2003 plans to today’s plans, remember two very obvious points: since then, we’ve had the worst recession in 75 years and specifically the lending market for projects like this is completely different. Second, the project was held up forever by NIMBY lawsuits and time = money and defending against lawsuits = money. So, you say plans have changed since 2003? Well, no doubt they have because it ain’t 2003 anymore!
“Anyone trying to sell the notion that the old AY site wasnt bleak is either delusional or just a total B.S’er – I dont care where it is, but a huge below grade Rail Yard is bleak and totally detrimental to an effective urban landscape. Arguing that the AY pit was fine as it was destroys any credibility in the person promoting such nonsense.”
What you just wrote is utter nonsense. By your logic a huge green expressway like the BQE is detrimental to an effective urban landscape and so we should be tearing down all the bleak neighborhoods that abut the BQE. Doesnt make sense at all. I am not against urban planning and development- I am against all the lies used to promote AY.
We dont have pristine urban landscape-if we did no one would be moving to those areas of FortGreene or Prospect Heights that abut AY nor would they move to places like Gowanus or Williamsburg that are surrounded by NY’s industrial and manufacturing past. I lived and worked near the footprint of AY for years. I choose to move there not because it was bleak or blighted but because I loved the neighborhood- railroad yard and all.
18,000 seat arenas have a totally different economic profile than 75,000 seat stadiums.
Basketball sized areas are by no means guaranteed to make money, but they are much more versatile than football or baseball stadiums.
This whole debate is so boring already but I cant help myself from wading in a bit.
1. Anyone trying to sell the notion that the old AY site wasnt bleak is either delusional or just a total B.S’er – I dont care where it is, but a huge below grade Rail Yard is bleak and totally detrimental to an effective urban landscape. Arguing that the AY pit was fine as it was destroys any credibility in the person promoting such nonsense.
2. Everyone was complaining that construction of affordable component was going to take too long (or not happen) – so now Ratner proposes a building process that could significantly speed up the building and offering of affordable component and……same people are still pissed.
3. Implementing a new, efficient construction method for a 34 story building is good for Brooklyn and NY (and long-term good for the Union that is proficient in its implementation)
4. If the Nets never come to Brooklyn (or move) – the arena will be hugely successful as a venue for tons of events that currently can only go to MSG or NJ/LI (in a city of 8M it is ridiculous that we have only 1 large venue)
Exactly bkhabitant.
Of course the difference between the bleaknesses is hundreds of millions in taxpayer money going to Ratner et al – not, by the way, until the Nets move out, but until the stadium is torn down. The debt from this mess will be ours long after the Nets move on.
The article below gives an excellent account of how local taxpayers foot the bill for sports franchises and are consistently swindled by politicians, team owners and real estate developers.
As Stadiums Vanish, Their Debt Lives On
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/08/sports/08stadium.html