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August 23, 2006
Atlantic Yards Friends and Foes Prepare To State Their Cases
The NY Sun
By David Lombino
Today's article about the Atlantic Yards public hearing quotes Mayor Bloomberg, who has now joined Brooklyn Borough President Markowitz as the only public officials who think that Brooklynites have had enough time to scrutinize the project:
Last week, Mr. Bloomberg said that calls to postpone the public hearing were barely disguised attempts to kill the project. He has supported the project based on the jobs and affordable housing he says it will provide.
“This is a project that has had its exposure to everybody so many times. There's nothing else you can possibly learn,” Mr. Bloomberg said.
It also appears that the opponents' legal strategy hinges on more than the Environmental Review:
A spokesman for Develop Don’t Destroy, an umbrella organization of groups that oppose the Atlantic Yards, said the strategy to halt the project relies on the courts more than the state’s approval process. The spokesman, Daniel Goldstein, said the group would mount a legal challenge to any condemnation of private property necessary to complete the project.
NoLandGrab: No doubt there are project critics who are trying to stop the project, but on the other hand, there is still much to learn about Bruce Ratner's plans.
The Empire State Development Corporation and Forest City Ratner have not been forthcoming with financial projections, despite repeated claims that the project would provide a net fiscal benefit to the City and State, and there are also gaping holes in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, many of which will probably be presented at today's hearing.
Posted by lumi at August 23, 2006 8:01 AM