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April 20, 2005
DDDb Press Release: Brooklyn and Yonkers Citizens Unite To Fight $$$Billion Boondoggles
Bruce Ratner’s Secret, Backroom Deals with Empire State Development Corp Threaten Two Communities
YONKERS, NEW YORK—Community groups from Brooklyn and Yonkers today joined forces to fight a common enemy: MegaDeveloper Bruce Ratner, whose sweetheart deals with the Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC) threaten both their communities.
The alliance was kicked off in Yonkers today, at a lunchtime meeting of Yonkers Business Week 2005. The meeting’s keynote speaker was ESDC Chairman Charles Gargano.
Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn (DDDB) and Prospect Heights Action Coalition (PHAC) joined Yonkers’ Community First! Development Coalition and Stop Ridge Hill organizations to respond to Mr. Gargano’s remarks.
Speaking to reporters following the luncheon, Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn (DDDB) Spokesperson Daniel Goldstein said, “The ESDC is an unaccountable state authority whose blatant disregard for anyone but billionaires would have a devastating impact on our communities.”
DDDB represents residents of Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, and surrounding communities who oppose an arena and 17-skyscraper complex proposed by Bruce Ratner’s company, Forest City Ratner (FCR). FCR and the ESDC have signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding to pursue this project.
DDDB represents residents of Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, and surrounding communities who oppose an arena and 17-skyscraper complex proposed by Bruce Ratner’s company, Forest City Ratner (FCR). FCR and the ESDC have signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding to pursue this project.
“Brooklyn and Yonkers share the same problem,” Goldstein continued, “and so does every taxpayer in New York. The shady backroom deals that have been hatched between the ESDC and Forest City Ratner will cost taxpayers literally billions of dollars. These deals are fronted by shadowy local development corporations that don’t share information and don’t answer to the public. Brooklyn and Yonkers won’t quit until we’ve put a stop to these undemocratic, abusive, taxpayer-financed land grabs.”
To read an analysis of the cost of FCR’s Atlantic Yards proposal, go to http://www.dddb.net/dummies.
To read a letter by State Comptroller Alan Hevesi which raises his concerns about the Ridge Hill Development, go to http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/20/nyregion/20yonkers.html.
Posted by lumi at April 20, 2005 6:32 PM