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December 20, 2006
It came from the Ratnersphere...
Here's a wrap-up of some of the day's online coverage that we missed between morning posts and the Public Authorities Control Board vote to approve Ratnerville:
Gotham Gazette, A Big Day in Albany for Sheldon Silver …
Sheldon Silver will have a chance to block the Atlantic Yards project — or to delay it until Governor George Pataki is out of office — at a meeting of the Public Utilities Control Board, a previously obscure state panel controlled by the state’s three most powerful men that has become a graveyard for large-scale development projects in recent years.
Brownstoner, Silver Might Give AY Approval After All
On the heels of yesterday's rumors that Sheldon Silver would not give his approval for Atlantic Yards in 2006, and thereby deny his political enemy George Pataki credit for the project, The Post is reporting this morning that the Assembly Speaker might indeed sign off on the project--as long as Pataki does not link it to "pork barrel" projects.
NoLandGrab: Ironically, Ratnerville corporate welfare will cost you a lot of bacon.
Gowanus Lounge, And So, It All Comes Down to the Third Man (Again)
[Silver] told the Post that as long as the project is on the agenda on its own, he'll probably support it.... All of which would indicate that yesterday was a grand exercise in political theater.
In an odd way, this opera is a fitting conclusion to an approval process that has--depending on one's point of view--violated basic principles of community participation, open government and public information. Even if you support Atlantic Yards, you might hope that a delay in the decision would produce full public disclosure of the true costs and benefits of the project, including information about how much the developer will make in profits.
The Neighborhood Retail Alliance, Nets Endgame at Hand
Ratner consultant and champion of mom-n-pop retail Richard Lipsky is passing out the cigars and high-fiving Bruce Bender:
As much as the grass roots was essential here, it would be remiss not to mention how skillfully Bender and his team curried political support at all levels. If, as we hope, the green light is given today, than the Bender team's game plan will be studied and emulated for years to come.
Empire Zone, Yards Set For Approval
NY Times beat reporter Nicholas Confessore acknowledges that the Post got the story on Silver's approval of Atlantic Yards. Interesting comments after Confessore's post.
NY Newsday, Silver, Pataki to support Atlantic Yards plan
Editor Michael Clancy wrote a midday update which was published on Newsday.com.
Silver said he will cast his vote for the Atlantic Yards project Wednesday afternoon if Pataki doesn't tie it to other projects, a Silver spokesman said.
...
State lawmakers have also asked the development corporation to turn over an cost-benefit analysis done by the accounting firm KPMG detailing the profits Ratner stands to make on the project.
Posted by lumi at December 20, 2006 8:07 PM