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April 18, 2005
FCR Ridge Hill Update
The Journal News
Ratner's Ridge Hill development proposal is facing some stiff resistance in Yonkers. The themes are familiar to Brooklynites: promises with no guarnatees, lack of public input and oversight, public funding through tax breaks, political corruption and cronyism, and the arrogance of top-down urban planning.
New coalition tackles big development
Brooklyn activists travel to Yonkers to share ideas and learn more about what the citizens of Yonkers are facing. "'With Ratner, there's a pattern of coming in and imposing a development on the community without any say from that community,' said Patti Hagan, a founder of the Prospect Heights Action Coalition."
Ridge Hill ad blitz begins today
Forest City Ratner is running a 30-second TV commercial to run on the local cable stations just days after the Ridge Hill Development Corporation ran a full-page ad in the Journal News, in an attempt to change public opinion about the controversial development.
"Both Ratner and Ridge Hill Development officials, who have stressed they are separate and distinct organizations of late, said they were unaware of each other's efforts."
Editorial: Scrutinizing Ridge Hill
The Journal News editorial board encourages the Yonkers City Council to keep up the public meetings in order to make sure that Yonkers receives the promised benefits and addresses the concerns of nearby residents. The position of the editorial board looks ahead at the challenges that remain, but fails to scrutinize the corruption and backroom dealing that has already occured.
Posted by lumi at April 18, 2005 8:00 AM