Spillover Crowds, Strong Words Mark AY Hearing
By all accounts, yesterday’s public hearing on the Atlantic Yards project was crowded, raucous and long. There’s ample coverage of the blow-by-blows on the links below. While The Times notes that the two sides of the issue appeared to have hardened, Norman Oder notes that more public figures are heading the opposite direction: There was…
By all accounts, yesterday’s public hearing on the Atlantic Yards project was crowded, raucous and long. There’s ample coverage of the blow-by-blows on the links below. While The Times notes that the two sides of the issue appeared to have hardened, Norman Oder notes that more public figures are heading the opposite direction:
There was some evidence of a push for compromise. Borough President Marty Markowitz, though vague, offered his most forceful words for a project scaledown. Assemblymembers Roger Green and Jim Brennan reminded the crowd of their effort to subsidize a 34 percent reduction in the project’s size. And Kenn Lowy, of Community Board 2’s Traffic and Transportation Committee, drew cheers from opponents when he declared that the project must be reduced by 60 percent.
Is compromise the inevitable course of action?
Raucous Meeting on Atlantic Yards [NY Times]
Hoop Dreams Draw a Foul [NY Post]
Sides Clash Over Atlantic Yards [NY Sun]
Supporters Out in Force, Opponents Go the Distance [AY Report]
AY: Brooklyn Deserves a Better Plan [Municipal Arts Society]
“I qualify for some of those units. Hopefully is built fast before I have to move out of New York City because I can’t afford it.”
As mentioned they won’t be available for ten years – the luxury condos are going up first and Ratner has NO LEGAL BINDING AGREEMENT TO BUILD ANY affordable housing.
It’s a scam, that’s all it is – there are better proposals from extell and other developers to build REAL affordable housing.
I qualify for some of those units. Hopefully is built fast before I have to move out of New York City because I can’t afford it.
I want to get a new unit in there to look down upon the boring people that live in those brownstones.
Posted by: Tamika at August 24, 2006 01:56 PM
Hope you have a lot of money Tamika because 100% of the condos are luxury units – 500K and up,
further (from dddb)
What we do oppose are false claims of “affordable” housing. Look at Ratner’s own numbers in the Forest City Ratner graphic below.
* If you or your family earn between $21,270 to $28,360/year 225 units would be set aside for you.
* If you or your family earn between $28,361 to $35,450/year 675 units would be set aside for you.
* The Brooklyn Area Median Income (AMI) is 35,000/year.
* That’s 900 units (or 13%) out of a total 6,860 proposed units.
* If you or your family earn less than $21,270 there is no home for you in the proposed project.
* 84% of the units will NOT be affordable to families making less than $56,000/year.
* 40% of the “affordable” units would be for families earning between $71,000/year and $113,000/year.
* The units called “affordable” amount to 31% of the project, not the 50% ACORN continues to claim.
* There would be a total of 4,610 luxury units.
* ALL of the “affordable” units are rentals.
* Most of the “affordable” units would not come on line until “Phase II” of the project, at least 10 years from groundbreaking.
To be honest, living in a fresh Frank Gehry condo could be really cool.
Frank Gehry concert hall in LA heats the sidewalk across the way to 140 degrees, which is a health hazard for people …doesn’t sound to cool to me
and in Ohio one of his designs endangers passers by because of falling snow and ice.
Still want to live in a building designed by an architect who doesn’t think about snow in Ohio and sun in LA?
I still don’t understand why there are so many pro AY supporters posting on a blog who’s mission statement is:
“An unhealthy obsession with historic Brooklyn brownstones and the neighborhoods and lifestyles they define”.
Large scale glass sheathed modern building complexes are the diametrically opposed to the style and lifestyle of the historic buildings in Brooklyn.
To be honest, living in a fresh Frank Gehry condo could be really cool.
I want to get a new unit in there to look down upon the boring people that live in those brownstones.
“The Man’s promises of jobs and housing” will happen! Ratner is the man! All hail to him.
Hard to believe that people who proudly proclaim they are from the hood and “the real brooklyn” would fall for The Man’s promises of jobs and housing. As usual they will be sold out by shysterish community leaders like the Acorn lady. Some people never learn.
one more hearing ant then developers are going to built this mega project! I can’t wait to get a unit there.