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December 11, 2006
Hakeem the Dream
From the Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn E-Newsletter:
Former NBA great Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon is a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame when he becomes eligible in 2008, but 57th District Assemblymember-elect Hakeem Jeffries is not extending the same automatic welcome to Bruce Ratner's dream of an NBA arena in Brooklyn.
Jeffries, who is on record as opposing the use of eminent domain to build the proposed arena, sent a letter to the Public Authorities Control Board on Friday, urging the PACB to postpone taking any action on the proposed "Atlantic Yards" project until several outstanding issues were addressed. His concerns include an insufficient number of affordable rental units in Phase I of the project, the absence of affordable home ownership, the need to scale back the project significantly, and most noteworthy, the importance of allowing the courts to rule on the Federal eminent domain lawsuit before voting on the proposal.
We applaud Mr. Jeffries for standing with the community and demanding accountability from the developer and the ESDC. If his actions as Assemblymember-elect are any indication, he‚s going to be a strong advocate for his constituents when he takes office in January.
NoLandGrab: DDDB notices something we missed last week, that Jeffries went one step further in his letter to Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, than his soon-to-be colleagues.
State Assemblymembers Jim Brennan, Joan Millman and Annette Robinson call on the Speaker to withhold his vote until certain issues are addressed, Jeffries asks the Speaker to allow the courts to decide the issue of eminent domain before voting on the project.
Posted by lumi at December 11, 2006 10:29 AM