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June 5, 2006
DDDB Press Release: Dan Zanes & Brooklyn Friends Pack the House for Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn Benefit Concert
Opponents of Destructive "Atlantic Yards" Proposal Send Strong and Joyous Message to Elected Officials and Developer Ratner
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK -- The biggest Brooklyn House Party of the year was held on Saturday, June 3rd. Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn Advisory Board member Dan Zanes and Brooklyn Friends roused a packed to the vaulted ceilings Hanson Place United Central Methodist Church in Fort Greene.
Over 1400 boys, girls, moms and dads danced and sang to the joyful, traditional family folk rock sounds of Dan Zanes and his merry band of musicians. The church sanctuary was full of all ages celebrating the communities of Brooklyn at the benefit concert supporting the legal fund and work of Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn (DDDB)–advocates for sensible, respectful, democratic, community-based development and leading opponents of Forest City Ratner's proposed skyscraper city in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn.
Actor, director, Brooklyn native and DDDB Advisory Board member Steve Buscemi introduced Dan Zanes to kick off the concert, claiming that Zanes has "ruined his life" because now all he can do is cock-a-doodle-doodle-doo all around the kitchen!
Gospel legend Toshi Reagon joined the troupe for a soulful rendition of Down By the Riverside.
During the performance Dan Zanes said, “The key message here is to inform yourself about the ‘Atlantic Yards’ proposal. Once I started to inform myself I learned what a bad plan it is for Brooklyn and that the proposed project is not inevitable and can be stopped. We can have something much better for the borough. Also, I want to thank Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn for all the great work they have been doing these past two years.”
DDDB spokesperson Daniel Goldstein said, “This benefit concert, with a packed house, was a remarkable community event. As for our elected and un-elected officials across the city and state who have abdicated their responsibility to the public and who haven't listened to the outrage over this developer's destructive, taxpayer subsidized, eminent domain abusing, community-killing, treasure-stealing, congestion-producing, irresponsible and undemocratic development proposal: we hope and expect that the strumming sounds and supportive families at the Dan Zanes benefit concert might finally reach their hearts and heads.
Forest City Ratner’s 8.7 million square foot development plan, with 16 skyscrapers and an arena is the largest single source development proposed in the history of New York City. By DDDB’s accounting the project would use at least $1.9 billion in taxpayer subsidies, or if one goes by the developer’s numbers from one year ago that total would be $1.1 billion. The proposal is three times as dense as Battery Park City in lower Manhattan.
Click for more photos from the day's festivities.
Posted by lumi at June 5, 2006 1:26 PM