Today in AY: FCR Rally Panned; Amicus Brief Filed
Battles over Atlantic Yards’ PR face and legal validity continue to rage. On the image front, Daily News sports columnist Michael O’Keefe has a withering piece about the rally Forest City Ratner sponsored at Borough Hall last week in order to demonstrate support for Atlantic Yards. O’Keefe says the developer’s statement that 3,500 supporters showed…

Battles over Atlantic Yards’ PR face and legal validity continue to rage. On the image front, Daily News sports columnist Michael O’Keefe has a withering piece about the rally Forest City Ratner sponsored at Borough Hall last week in order to demonstrate support for Atlantic Yards. O’Keefe says the developer’s statement that 3,500 supporters showed up for the event “seemed extremely optimistic” and that “the speakers at the rally sounded like Hillary Clinton in the waning weeks of her failed presidential campaign: angry and frustrated, stunned at the prospect of defeat when they once expected a slam dunk.” The lawsuit-plagued project recently got its latest legal challenge in the form of an amicus brief filed with the U.S. Supreme Court, according to an article in today’s Sun. Public-interest firm Institute for Justice, which challenged the use of eminent domain in Kelo v. City of New London, filed the brief on the grounds that it wants the Supreme Court to use it “to clarify how much leeway courts still have to halt the use of eminent domain.” It’s unclear whether the high court will hear the case, which is brought by residents in the Atlantic Yards footprint who are supposed to be booted from their properties in order for the project to proceed.
Bruce Ratner’s Brooklyn Day a Dud [NY Daily News]
Prominent Law Firm Urges Atlantic Yards Development Be Stopped [NY Sun]
Photo by Atlantic Yards Webcam.
they did offer alternative plans and please don’t make the mistake of thinking that anti-AY people don’t care as much as you do about Brooklyn and/or affordable housing. We just don’t see Ratner’s plan as a good way to do this. between the high handed use of eminent domain, the scale of the project, the lack of guarantees for affordable housing, even the projected public spaces and jobs that are no longer a given- If ratner truly wanted to build something that was a real asset to the community and to Brooklyn, he would have listened instead of trying to shove it sown our throats. That said, he and his political friends did maneuver to shut out other plans and offers, including one which actually offered more money for the air rights over the rail yards.
“and, guest at 6:00- how much did you care about affordable housing until you heard there was an arena attached?”
Firstly, I never said Ratner wanted to build affordable housing out of the “goodness of his heart.” He’s a developer who wants to make money. What I said is that there is virtually no “affordable” housing in the AY footprint, except for the smattering of rent-controlled apartments. Yes, Ratner was compelled to include affordable housing in the plan by pressure from community groups, but since he did take the step to ENGAGE community groups, at least something was worked out on this front. Yes, there’s no guarantee the housing will be built, but there is a 100% guarantee that affordable housing WON’T be built in the area without the Ratner plan. Does the anti-AY crowd have a realistic plan to bring affordable housing to the site? Nope. Secondly, I happen to care a LOT about affordable housing in the area. I lived at 521 Dean Street (right behind the Newswalk building) from 1995 to 2001 and paid market-rate rent while supporting my son as a single father. Like many NYers, I spent more than 1/3 of my income on rent back then. I would have LOVED a few affordable rent options in the area. Unfortunately, I was not lucky enough to benefit from rent control like many of the anti-AY types. Since then, I have gained a partner, saved money and bought a house in Crown Heights. But as Brooklyn native and lifelong resident, I care a great deal about what happens here. I’ve been staring at that hole in the ground for YEARS, probably before you were born. The Ratner plan isn’t perfect, and I do believe that opponents have a right to speak their minds, but I personally view his plan as the best chance we’ve had in years to develop that area. The anti-AY crowd, in my opinion, have no real alternatives.
Again, the chances of this court being heard by the supreme court are just about impossible. Even Norman “OCD” Oder admits in his typically-long winded column today that 2% of cases are accepted. This will be yet another failed attempt by DDDB et al.
The photo kind of reminds me of certain Roman ruins–if I squint.
While this useful and extremely well-built building gets torn down spewing rats and G*d knows what else into the neighborhood, I can’t help being annoyed by the thought that it will be nothing but blacktop for parked cars either for 5 years or for much, much longer. We may be looking at a parking lot for 25 years.
All on our dime probably.
FCR seems like a house of cards that couldn’t exist but for promises of huge free money.
well since the Supreme Court has been exposed as the hoax and sham that it is already, if there is any question whether they should take this case all Ratner has to do is pony up some graft money (our tax $$) behind the scenes and they’ll keep walking. it’s just about levels of corruption.
that happens to be wrong. If the anti AY crowd had not spoken up, Ratner would never have considered it. In case you’ve forgotten, Ratner wanted to build an arena, then an arena and office space and luxury housing. Where do you see him saying, “and oh yes, out of the goodness of my heart I of course want to set aside apartments of affordable housing because i am such a good guy”?
check http://www.onnyturf.com/blogs/view_post.php?content_id=324 for more facts
July, 2007 “Even some Atlantic Yard backers have their doubts. Bertha Lewis of ACORN, which has backed the project on the ground that it would provide affordable housing, called the deal a “special carve-out†for Atlantic Yards and “bad public policy.†Gotham Gazette
Even Bertha who sold out without getting any real guarantees is looking a little doubtful these days. rally or no- you can get anyone to show up for your dog and pony show.
and, guest at 6:00- how much did you care about affordable housing until you heard there was an arena attached?
“When the affordable housing component went from integrated into each development into the fictitious “last stage” of AY (right, we didn’t see THAT coming), this went from proposed public good to theoretical public good.”
Ironically, there is virtually no “affordable” housing in the AY footprint, except for the smattering of rent-controlled apartments. There’s no way a “low income” family can afford a market-rate apartment in Prospect Heights. Ratner’s plan, as imperfect as it may be, is one of the few chances this will actually occur here. The anti-AY crowd didn’t give a hang about developing affordable housing in this area until Ratner came along.
“The media will follow suite.” BRILLIANT!!!! Wait . . . you were joking right?
When the affordable housing component went from integrated into each development into the fictitious “last stage” of AY (right, we didn’t see THAT coming), this went from proposed public good to theoretical public good.
And if that’s legal, I need to seize some property to build me a strip club . . . I mean orphanage.
No- that’s your predictable response.
As far as uproar goes- obviously you and I define it quite differently. If Kelo was, as you seem to think a decision to preserve states rights, and to prevent activist courts ruling from the bench, then they have indeed lost sight of what they are there to protect. Were there no uproar over the kelo decision, why did states feel constrained to pass new laws regarding property rights in ED cases?
“If there is legitimate outrage, people will make themselves heard and the media will follow suit. Hence, it is a fair measure and it shows that your claims of ED outrage are a fantasy.”
The media will follow suit? You are either willfully ignorant, or have a very poor understanding of the media. But when a developer demands your house for his strip mall (bigger tax revenue, don’t you know), I will happily remind you of how illegitimate your rights are. But thanks for illustrating my point about your research and social science skills.
I actually didn’t think you worked for FCR. There are people who want the arena to go through- there’s no question. I just don’t think the quality of your analytical skills is even up to their par. You, like others on this blog, can’t accept disagreement without insulting, calling names, and generally putting down any opinion that doesn’t gibe with yours. I don’t play the word games you do- did you honestly think I wouldn’t know what issues you were trying to raise asking me if I think ED is as important as other issues? Please. Go back to the sandbox.