DailyHeights

As noted in the dailyheights calendar: Next Monday, Architect Marshall Brown will present the recently developed "UNITY" development plan for the

Atlantic Railyards. This "community-initiated blueprint" was conceived last year in a workshop

sponsored by City Council Member Letitia James. Also scheduled: presentation on the analysis of the economic impact on taxpayers of the current Forest City Ratner Plan, by Columbia University professor

Gustav Peebles.

COMPONENTS OF UNITY PLAN:

-Mixed-income "medium-rise" housing

-Large amount of storefront retail space (geared toward local merchants)

-Public green space

-Additional through-streets to "better unite" Fort Greene, Prospect Heights and Park Slope

WHEN: Monday, January 31st, 6:30 p.m.
WHERE: Old First Reformed Church, 126 Seventh Avenue at Carroll Street, Park Slope

Co-sponsored by Park Slope Neighbors and Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn.

Jess Wisloski writes in The Brooklyn Papers: “The affordable and market-rate housing component in plans for the Atlantic Yards arena complex will likely expand by 1,300 units… The additional housing would eliminate 1,502,889 square feet of office and commercial space from Atlantic Yards, the executive said, but would help the
company speed up the process of building and occupying the properties.”

“One of the four towers around the arena, all of which are being designed by architect
Frank Gehry, would remain for office space …” All 4 were previously slated to be office space.

Full article… (DIAL-UP WARNING: You have to download the entire 3.24MB PDF of the paper to read a single article!)

Bondy (Daily News) writes: "Ratner is still hoping to get this whole thing done by 2007 … Don’t believe the timetable. The New Jersey Nets will be suffering lameduck-hood for many years to come."

"Ratner has bought out about 80% of the properties that stand in the
way, and the project has key borough support. But there are still local
residents who object to the approaching bulldozers, and to a
public-private partnership that initially will cost taxpayers more than
$200 million in infrastructure improvements."

"Nothing ever gets built around here … For
decades, there have been … all
these pricey stadium and arena projects on the drawing board … Still there is nothing, even after nearly a dozen years of pro-development, Republican mayoralties." Read it all…

"Brett Yormark … in his new job as chief executive of the Nets’ parent company … one of Yormark’s priorities will be to persuade sponsors and fans to embrace the team…"

"’When I took over the [NASCAR] position in 1998, similar to what I’m finding now, we were fighting a perception,’ said Yorkmark, 38. "With NASCAR, it certainly was that whole southern thing… With the Nets, too, it’s about re-imaging.’"

"…Ratner hopes to relocate the Nets to an arena in Flatbush by the 2008 season and critics have questioned whether the fan base needs to be rebuilt …

Thank brownstoner for the tipoff.

These guys come up with some catchy postcards, and make a convincing anti-Stadium argument. So where are all the pro-Ratner postcards? We’re offering equal time here on dailyheights.

Brian J. Carreira writes, "Develop Don’t Destroy’s Robert Puca characterizes the CBA discussions
as a ‘dinner party where everyone at the table agrees with the host…’"

"With so many being shut out of the discussion so early in the game,
those who find comfort in being ‘at the table’ should be wary when it
comes time to pay the check."

More …