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July 19, 2005
Sharpton & Thompson support Ratner-Gehry proposal
The Observer's Matthew Schuerman wasn't blowing smoke when he reported on their blog yesterday that Sharpton was about to pledge his allegance to Ratner's proposal.
This morning, the Daily News and NY Times are carrying the story with quotes from a written statement provided by Sharpton.
Though both papers carried the story, they played down the positive effect that a Sharpton endorsement would have, noting that he was also a staunch supporter of the Jets West Side Stadium.
The NY Daily News ("Sharpton jumps on Nets arena bandwagon") is carrying quotes from Brooklyn "God Squad" representative Rev. Clinton Miller:
"[Sharpton] should have called some of the preachers who were involved for the last two years," said the Rev. Clinton Miller of Brown Memorial Baptist Church. "It's misguiding, and it makes it seem that African-Americans should be behind this project."
The News also reports that City Comptroller Williiam Thompson is backing the proposal:
[Sharpton] is expected to join city Controller [sic] William Thompson and other supporters at a pro-arena rally at Brooklyn's Duryea Presbyterian Church on Sterling Place today.
NoLandGrab: The Thompson endorsement puts the Comptroller and Public Advocate (Gotbaum) squarely in Ratner's camp. These two officials were elected to advocate for the City's and Public's best interest. That leaves a handful of elected pols and a large coalition of neighborhood groups to speak out against Ratner and Gehry's unpopular plan.
The NY Times ("Sharpton Backs Developer's Plan for Brooklyn Arena and Towers") also has an update on the MTA railyard bids (emphasis added):
Tom Kelly, a transportation authority spokesman, said that a decision on the proposals could come next week at the earliest, but he cautioned that it could take months longer.
Also, NY1, Al Sharpton Backs Nets' Brooklyn Arena Plan
Posted by lumi at July 19, 2005 6:40 AM