Wednesday's Atlantic Yards Meeting Was a Doozy

Both the Atlantic Yards Report and The Local posted yesterday about Wednesday night’s Atlantic Yards informational hearing, which by all accounts was a raucous affair. Held at LIU and moderated by CB6’s Craig Hammerman, the meeting was designed to give the community the opportunity to ask questions of ESDC officials and representatives of the developer Forest City Ratner. Both blogs have detailed accounts which you should check out, though the bottom line sounds like FCR will take its own sweet time in building the project and won’t be held to any particular timeline. Forest City is committed to developing this project as quickly as the economy will allow, said Forest City EVP MaryAnne Gilmartin. Frustrated members of the audience, which numbered around 200 and was tilted toward supporters, heckled the representatives while shouting matches broke out in the hallway; at least one speaker played the race card. The oral comment period ends next week with sessions on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons at Klitgord Auditorium at 285 Jay Street from 2 to 5 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. both days; a protest is scheduled for Wednesday. The written public comment period ends August 31st; written comments can be submitted by email to atlanticyards@empire.state.ny.us or by hand to ESDC, Attention: Steve Matlin, Senior Counsel, 633 Third Avenue, 37th Floor, New York, NY, 10017. AUpdate: AY Report has another post this morning with more info from the hearing, including a video that shows the difficulty of having any kind of meaningful dialogue about this in a public setting. The people disrupting the meeting seem to be taking active pleasure in preventing discourse. Clearly an enlightened bunch who care a lot about the neighborhood.
ESDC, FCR Face, Answer, Evade Tough Questions [AY Report]
Atlantic Yards Meeting Erupts [NYT/Local]
Photo by Tracy Collins