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November 13, 2005

Move project by Yards

In a move of logic not unlike President Bush's idea that cutting down forests prevents forest fires, Roger Green suggests expanding the use of eminent domain to decrease density in the Atlantic Yards Project. Oh, and he insults the locals along the way:

Assemblyman Roger Green (D-Prospect Heights) - likely to play a crucial role in getting the project approved in Albany - is pushing to build thousands of the project's apartments in an industrial area around Grand and Bergen Sts.

The blocks are home to many car repair shops, small factories, a few homes and retail businesses. Green insists many owners would sell or could be relocated. He called many of the businesses "chop shops of dubious ownership."

Grand Ave. car repair shop owner Lesly Nelson was shocked by Green's comments, and said his business is legal and already just scraping by.

"It's one of those things where the small guys can't do anything to stop it," said Nelson, who rents his space and has already been forced to move once because of condos.

"There are about seven shops here. If they sell this building this whole place is going to go out of business."

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Posted by amy at November 13, 2005 10:32 AM