No Land Grab

"The spin from day one has been that this proposal is a ‘done deal.’ Let’s get real. As long as we live in a democracy we have the power and there are no done deals. This deal is coming undone. It’s suffering from a long-term illness and needs to be put out of its misery. When the time is ripe, they will have no defense to our eminent domain lawsuit,” said DDDB spokesman Daniel Goldstein from the rally stage. “And if Brooklyn wants an arena there can be one without eminent domain. There’s a place called Coney Island with city-owned land. And the world’s largest subway terminal. Coney Island is built for crowds. A Coney Island arena has been long embraced by their elected officials, their Councilman Recchia, and Borough President Marty Markowitz wanted an arena there. Even Forest City Ratner wanted an arena there until they eyed their Prospect Heights land grab. Don’t be fooled if they oppose it now. In Queens they opposed a stadium then embraced it when the Jets West Side Stadium failed. This pitched battle can end, if Forest City Ratner ends its intransigence”

"Ratner is trying to recreate how our city operates,” Bob Law, a former radio host, activist, local entrepreneur and DDDB advisory board member, told the crowd. "We’re not opposed to development, but we’re opposed to the process. When people say we are opposed to jobs, I am. I’m opposed to the temporary, dead-end jobs Ratner is offering. My community needs careers."

An unscheduled speaker was Bayside, Queens Councilmember Tony Avella, who said, “We have to start saying no to overdevelopment and yes to people power.”

Other speakers included: Harlem Tenants Council Director Nellie Hester Bailey, Chief Executive Minister of The Brooklyn Christian Center and publisher of the Christian Times Reverend Dennis Dillon, minister at the Clinton Hill Brown Memorial Baptist Church Reverend Clinton Miller, representative of New York Solidarity Coalition With Katrina/Rita Survivors Joan Gibbs, and president of the Brooklyn Bridge Park Defense Fund Judi Francis.

The rally stage backdrop proclaimed:

“Brooklyn’s Neighborhoods, Say No To Ratner’s Land Grab
Our Taxes For Jobs & Housing, Not For Billionaires.
No Arena. No Extreme Density. No Eminent Domain.”

Demonstrators carried placards with the messages: “No Arena. Build Affordable Housing,” “No Extreme Density. They’re Too Darn Tall,” and “No Democracy, No Project. Respect the Community.”

“Today was a great day. People came out in force to say we know what’s best for our great neighborhoods and diverse communities and what our needs are; we know that we don’t need a corporate land grab formed behind closed doors, and a high-rise luxury housing complex with an arena; what we need is truly affordable housing with development that respects our communities. These are our tax dollars and they should go to truly public needs such as housing, education and city services, not a private development corporation.”

At 8.8 million square feet, equal two three Empires State Buildings, Forest City Ratner’s plan is the largest development proposed by a single developer in the history of New York City. It would cost the public, according to DDDB, at least $1.9 billion (dddb.net/documents/mou/AYardsSubsidies.pdf) or, according the developer, at least $1.1 billion. The proposal avoids oversight and a vote by local government from community boards to the City Council. Approval would be given by the Public Authorities Control Board (PACB) comprised by Assembly Speaker Silver, Senate Majority Leader Bruno (who are unaccountable to those most impacted by the project) and the Governor. If built it would be the densest residential development in the United States.