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September 19, 2006
It came from the Blogosphere...
Big Cities Big Boxes, Community Board 6 Rejects Atlantic Yards
CB 6's opposition to the project could not be more clear.
Daily Gotham, Atlantic Yards Development: Become Part of the Process
This is NOT a conflict between pro- and anti-development groups. This is a conflict between pro- and anti-Ratner forces. Ratner is a private developer out for his own gain who just happens to be a law school buddy of Pataki's. He has been given this project through an unfair and corrupt process that does not measure up to free market standards, let alone community standards. The Ratner plan does not adequately provide for the massive impact of this scale of development on sewage volume, traffic, public transportation, classrooms, fire house coverage, etc. The DEIS report DOES NOT ADDRESS THESE ISSUES.
Sail Brooklyn, 2006 Atlantic Antic
We were not surprised to see some representatives who are lobbying strongly against Bruce Ratner's Atlantic Yards plan. Representatives from Develop don't Destroy and the Council of Brooklyn Neighborhoods were there to inform the public about the the current plan for the Atlantic Yards site, alternative plans and ways to make your voice heard for people opposed to the current plan of action for the Atlantic Yards site.
The Generalist, Putting the Atlantic Yards online
The Generalist explains to a friend who has some "mixed feelings" about the Atlantic Yards project that:
according to the current plan to “demap” certain streets in the footprint, the section of Pacific Street where she had parked her car would be center court of the Nets arena by October 2009, Ms. Whaley’s jaw dropped: “No, really?”
Most Brooklynites have an opinion about AY, but from my unscientific experience it seems that the further you move from the “footprint” of the Atlantic Yards, the less people know about how big the project will be and how much it will change that 7 block section of Brooklyn (leaving aside any spill-over effects it may have on other neighborhoods).
The Generalist then explains that most blogs (we assume that includes NLG) don't go far enough with their online presentation of the plan.
NoLandGrab: To be fair, the General Project Plan wasn't released until two months ago, and even now, a full accounting of what the project will look like doesn't exist; nevermind that Ratner has submitted two versions to the state. But some of what is being suggested by The Generalist is starting to surface, with more to come. Regretfully, it is being produced in people's spare time.
Green Party of Monroe County, Walk Don't Destroy 2
Local "Greenie," B. Colby Hamilton, is seeking help from other Green Party members in his effort to raise money for the Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn Walkathon. Link to his fundraising page.
NetsDaily Blog, “Our long term objective is to build the Nets basketball team into a great franchise”
The official NJ Nets blog pulls quotes from last week's Forest City Ratner investor analyst conference call and offers this explanation of the ownership structure of the team:
While Bruce Ratner is the Nets’ “principal owner”, he owns only 7% of the franchise. His parent company, Forest City Enterprises, owns more than 20% and is easily the biggest stockholder in the franchise. Ratner’s extended family–mostly his Cleveland cousins–control the company. FCE is also responsible for more than 30% of the team’s losses under the partnership agreement that controls the Nets. So several comments by FCE officials during a conference call for investors earlier this week appear quite noteworthy. One by the company’s finance chief is particularly encouraging for Nets fans. In spite of continuing losses, he stated the company’s “long term objective is to build the Nets basketball team into a great franchise”.
Posted by lumi at September 19, 2006 9:40 AM