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August 31, 2006
BATTLE IN BROOKLYN
The fight over Atlantic Yards heats up
The NY Press
By John DeSio
“Put the shirt on!” cheered one ACORN member, urging the developer to join them in wearing one of ACORN’s signature red shirts. Ratner obliged, and the crowd went wild. Obviously worried about spending too much time outside where he might be seen by the project’s critics and suddenly become a public spectacle, Ratner kept his comments brief. “We have a great mission to do,” said Ratner. “You’ve got wonderful leaders. I can’t thank you enough. It’s a good cause, and we are going to win.”
The crowd was now frenzied, much like fans at a ballgame. And as the enthusiastic group began their march to the hearing, Ratner took a few minutes to personally shake the hands of many ACORN members. High-fives and back slaps were in abundance, and Ratner was thrilled to see it. And then, just as quickly as he came, he was gone. While ACORN walked to the meeting, chanting, “the people, united, will never be defeated,” Ratner quietly headed back to his office in the adjacent Metrotech Center, which he also developed. The raucous nature of the hearing, which drew over 1,000 Brooklynites, was not something he wanted to be a part of.
NoLandGrab: The article mistakenly calls the September 12th "community forum" a "public hearing," a distinction that the Empire State Development Corporation adamantly upholds. It also assumes that the "forum" was scheduled after the hearing on the 23rd of August -- both dates were announced back in July.
Posted by lumi at August 31, 2006 10:20 AM