NoLandGrab has posted a PDF of the "friends of the court" brief filed in the Supreme Court case of Kelo vs. New London.
Develop Don’t Destroy has this analysis: "While the brief begins by extolling the parties’ strong support for Ratner’s Atlantic Yards proposal, it quickly goes on to claim that the matters under consideration in the Kelo case have no bearing on Ratner’s plan. Why? Well, because the Atlantic Yards project will be built on a ‘blighted site – now largely occupied by railyards, vacant and industrial property…"
Goodbye Idyllic Mayberry Neighborhood
Time to step back and look at the big picture. Staceyjoy pointed out this vision of a snarled urban dystopia: "There will be new office towers and corporate headquarters looming over Brooklyn Heights, a jazzy sports arena at Atlantic Ave., movie studios in the Navy Yard, big box stores and a cruise ship terminal in Red Hook, and huge residential complexes in Dumbo and along 4th Ave. … Planned development is expected to total 45 million square feet, equaling the size of five World Trade Centers … The inescapable corollary … that hundreds of thousands of new travelers will be drawn to the hub—an estimated 500,000 more people per day."
If you _____ it, I will $&^$*^@#
From the "I’m-trying-to-think-of-a-headline-about-development" dept.:
The next person who paraphrases Field of Dreams in reference to Ratner and the Atlantic Yards project is going to get Eminent-Domained. Hard. I could name names, but it would take too long. Still think it would be a good idea? Then read this first.
Letitia James Will Fight for Her Political Life
Errol Louis writes in the Daily
News: “…City Councilwoman Letitia James, a vocal
critic of Bruce Ratner’s Atlantic Yards development plan, may have to fight for
her political life this summer. James – who first got elected to office on the
Working Families Party line in a special election after the assassination of
James Davis in 2003 – is ineligible to run as a Dem in an overwhelmingly
Democratic district.”
“…
she could face a tough general election race against a pro-development Democrat
this fall, unless (she gets) special permission to run in its primary …
James’ entrenched opposition to Atlantic Yards has strained her ties
with the pro-jobs, union-backed Working Families Party, which generally
supports Ratner’s plan.
"I have yet to hear anyone say, ‘We will not
support you because of your position on Atlantic Yards,’" James says. But
about 20 neighborhood residents, upset about James’ opposition, recently
picketed the councilwoman’s office.” Read
more…
UNITY Plan: Forum Draws 150+ Park Slope People
Eric McClure wrote in with a recap of last night’s UNITY Plan Forum: "More than 150 Park Slope residents turned out … The discussion of the future of the railyards seemed to strike a
nerve with Slope residents, many of whom expressed praise for the
UNITY Plan, and concern about Forest City Ratner’s proposal …" Read Eric’s full report here.
[update] Ratner's plan to move Last-Place Nets angers Carril
Try to count all the discrepancies in these two reports. Is it heck? Is it hell? Is it junk? Is it crap? One thing’s for sure: someone said something the other night, he got confused, and his last name may contain one or two L’s.
From the Newark Star Ledger: "Pete Carril marched up to some stranger last night, demanded to know whether he was the ‘new owner,’ and immediately started scolding him for moving the Nets out of New Jersey. Then he had to be told that he was speaking to a team publicist, and that Ratner is not with the team."
"… the legendary coach wasn’t done … ‘You’ve got to get the owner to cut the crap and stay in New Jersey. I wish he knew what the hell he was doing.’" Read more…
UPDATE: MORE DETAILS from the Daily Herald’s Mike McGraw:
"…Before New Jersey played in Sacramento on Tuesday, Kings
assistant Pete Carril walked up to a stranger, asked if he was the
Nets’ new owner and proceeded to berate the person for moving the Nets
out of New Jersey ….
Carill was then told he was speaking to Nets publicist Gary Sussman …
Carill, who coached at Princeton for 30 years, was upset by Ratner’s
plan to move the Nets to Brooklyn. Those plans are not set in stone …
little to no progress has been made on the proposed Brooklyn arena."
"’You’ve got to get the owner to cut the junk and stay in
New Jersey … I wish he knew what the heck he was doing. And you can
quote me on that. … I mean, what’s the matter with that guy? I really
feel bad about this.’"
Are "Angry Yards" Protesters Ratner Puppets?
Stephen Witt, writing in the January 10, 2005 edition of the Park Slope Courier, reported on an "incendiary letter" charging that "Forest City Ratner is the hidden force behind grassroots suppport" for the Atlantic Yards project. According to Witt, the letter alleges that Forest City Ratner Companies (FCRC) "orchestrated and engineered" a protest outside the office of City Council member Letitia James.
Witt writes of the "quickly scrapped" note: "The note, bearing the letterhead of City Council member Albert Vann, asks for ‘black elected officials’ to express outrage …"
BUILD President James Caldwell is quoted in the article: "I as a black man can think on my own … We’re an independent organization and all we want is betterment for all the people in our community." ACORN Executive Director Bertha Lewis: "Out of respect for Mr. Vann, I refuse comment…" Forest City Ratner Companies spokesperson Joe DePlasco: "Ridiculous."
Would be nice if the whole article was online, but it doesn’t appear to be. Can anybody find it?
Atlantic Yards
Give thanks: lightningfield.com
Effusive FCR Exec: We Like “Radical” ACORN
In case you never made it past the jump in that Brooklyn Papers article …
Forest City Ratner executive positively gushes: “We like working with
ACORN. They have that radical feeling, they really fight for what they believe
in. We just love their history, how they started, and feel it really
represents what we’re working to do here." [PR tip-of-the-day: don’t say “trying to do.” Say “working to
do.” It makes you sound like a go-getter!]
“Forest City Ratner has been working in conjunction with the
New York City chapter of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform
Now (ACORN), to establish an affordable housing scheme for Atlantic Yards.”
“Talk is cheap,’” [ACORN’s] Lewis said of the Ratner
executive’s announcement …" Read the whole thing… (DIAL-UP WARNING:
3.24MB PDF of the entire paper)
Bloomberg Hails The Ratner Rebirth!
In case you blinked during Bloomberg’s 2005 "State of the City" address:
"Marty Markowitz I know you will be with us
at Red Hook when a new cruise terminal that will create 600
Brooklyn-based jobs opens for business by the end of the year. And we’ll work together to see the construction of a new areas for
the Brooklyn Nets, the capstone of Downtown Brooklyn’s rebirth."