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Major Community Rally Against Ratner's Atlantic Yards Scheme
As Bruce Ratner goes public admitting he has no intention of fulfilling the promises he made to New York regarding affordable housing in his Atlantic Yards project, even former allies like Bill DeBlasio are now questioning just why New York City and New York State are giving him so much taxpayer money. On Saturday, May 3rd a major rally will be held where opposition will coalesce against Ratner. Among those sponsoring and publicizing this event are former supporters of Ratner, politicians who have previously been lukewarm in their opposition, and opposition groups that formerly didn't work together. In other words, Ratner may have finally shown his hand and all those who believed his promises or who weren't ready to take a strong stand now are feeling betrayed and angry. Saturday may be the beginning of the end for Ratner because for the first time I have seen the names of politicians who had been solidly, blindly behind Ratner cropping up among the opposition.
From DDDB (and about a dozen other sources!):
Community Groups, Elected Officials To Hold Major Rally To Demand Governor Paterson Call “Time Out†On Atlantic Yards Project
WHAT: Time Out on Atlantic Yards Rally
WHEN: Saturday, May 3rd at 2:00PM
WHERE: 752 Pacific Street between Carlton and Vanderbilt Avenues
WHO: BrooklynSpeaks, Council of Brooklyn Neighborhoods, Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn, local elected officialsForest City Ratner Company has acknowledged that the Atlantic Yards project won't be built according to the schedule and plan that was approved. Brooklyn residents are faced with demolition of vast areas of their community with no committed plans to build. Taxpayers may be asked to bear an even greater burden than the $2 billion in public subsidies already estimated.
A major community rally will be held Saturday, May 3, 2pm at 752 Pacific Street. The Council of Brooklyn Neighborhoods, BrooklynSpeaks, and Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn will join with community leaders and elected officials to ask Governor Paterson to call "Time Out" on the Atlantic Yards project: suspend demolitions, displacement of residents and businesses, infrastructure disruptions and further subsidies to the project so that changes to the project can be assessed and a plan prepared with community involvement. The three sponsoring coalitions represent thousands of New Yorkers who have had differing perspectives on issues raised by the Atlantic Yards proposal, but all agree that the current state of affairs is intolerable.
The following elected officials have confirmed attendance: NYS Senator Velmanette Montgomery, NYS Assemblywoman Joan Millman, NYS Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries, NYC Councilwoman Letitia James, NYC Councilman Bill de Blasio, NYC Councilman David Yassky, NYC Councilman Tony Avella.
CONTACT:
Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn, www.dddb.net
Daniel Goldstein (917) 701-3056Council of Brooklyn Neighborhoods, www.councilofbrooklynneighborhoods.org
Jim Vogel (718) 638-3349BrooklynSpeaks, www.brooklynspeaks.net
Gib Veconi (917) 881-0401Public transportation to the rally:
SUBWAYS [Map]:
2/3 to Bergen Street
B, D,M,N,R to Pacific Street
Q to 7th Avenue
C to Lafayette or Washington Avenues
2,3,4,5 to Atlantic AvenueBUS:
65 On Dean Street going East, or Bergen Street Going West
45 on Atlantic Avenue
Joy and I may be there with some journalists from Finland if timing works out. If so, hope to see you there!
Money talks & bullsh*t walks...
Why do all these developers say one thing first & then reneg on what they plan? The people have to hold our elective officials feet to the fire when they approve the developers plans. They are the last defense between the powers that be & the public. What is happenning at the Atlantic Yards project will happen defintely at the Coney Island development with Mr. Sitt of Thor Equities. At least in the latter case Mr. DeBlasio has come to see what is really happening, much better than Councilman Domenic Recchia & his personal friend Mr. Sitt. This shows what developers' money can buy...elective officials.
Recchia
For those unfamiliar with the Coney Island situation, Recchia has blocked the city's plans for Coney Island until they come up with a plan MORE favorable to the developers. Recchia seems to feel that Bloomberg and Markowitz aren't kind enough to developers. And of course the developers Recchia is defending against those anti-developer villians Markowitz and Bloomberg have all been donating to Recchia's camapaign. Reminds me of Vito Lopez, Recchia's political boss, taking Ratner money just before proposing a bill in Albany that would give Rater far more taxpayer money than even Bloomberg thought prudent.
Ratner's new problem
There's a new lawsuit, and this one just might succeed -- provided, of course, that the judge hasn't been bought.
According to the NY Times, the Empire State Development Corporation is bargaining to give Forest City Ratner 12 years to complete phase I of his development, and forever to complete the rest.
The problem is that, under New York law, when eminent domain is used the property must be "materially improved" within 10 years or returned to its original owner.