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July 19, 2005
The Battle of Brooklyn
Grassroots groups split on whether arena plan scores for boro
The Village Voice by Jarrett Murphy
The Voice portrays the Battle of Brooklyn as a fight between community groups over Ratner's Atlantic Yards plan. In the near corner we have Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn and it's coalition of community groups in the far corner are Ratner supporters ACORN, BUILD and Rev. Daughtry.
As the best known of the groups involved, ACORN will play a particularly important role in selling the Atlantic Yards deal (a recent picture of Lewis smooching Mayor Bloomberg, for example, was priceless publicity for hizzoner). For several years Ratner, like several other city business figures, has donated money to ACORN, but officials at the group scoff at the idea that they've been bought off.
Critics, however, say ACORN has bought into the dubious notion that it faced a choice between joining with Ratner or being left with nothing for Brooklyn's low-income people. In fact, the deal's opponents say, it's possible that a smaller-scale development could have generated similar community gains
Posted by lumi at July 19, 2005 10:40 PM