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January 31, 2007
Buildup to arena hits big screen
NY Daily News, Brooklyn edition only By Joyce Shelby
"Brooklyn Matters," a 50-minute video produced by filmmaker Isabel Hill, follows the proposed 22-acre project as it moves from the drawing board through various stages of government approval.
Architects, lawyers, politicians, journalists, community leaders and residents all weigh in on the project, which calls for an 18,000-seat basketball arena for the Nets as well as soaring towers for office suites, retail space and thousands of units of housing.
Hill, an urban planner and preservationist who lives in Brooklyn, said she began her research on the development in August 2005. Shooting started a year later.
"I had many questions about the Atlantic Yards project when I started to look at it more fully," Hill said. "My goal was to help other people understand what was being proposed and the long-term impact."
However, there is one voice that is conspicuously absent from the documentary - that of developer Bruce Ratner.
"I made multiple requests for interviews with Bruce Ratner," said Hill, "but got no response."
NoLandGrab: Check out our Events page for upcoming screenings or go to www.brooklynmatters.com.
Posted by lumi at January 31, 2007 8:33 AM