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February 9, 2007
Marty's State of the Borough Ratnerville Address
Marty promoted Bruce Ratner's Atlantic Yards plan and the Barclays Bank naming-rights deal as part of Brooklyn's renaissance in his State of the Borough address.
Here's the local coverage:
The Brooklyn Paper, Marty for Mayor? This cookie didn’t crumble
By Lilo H. Stainton
Like a broken record, Marty is still promising to be "responsive" to make the project palatable to everyone who is not "He-Whose-Name-Must-Not-Be-Spoken:"
Markowitz also mentioned his beloved Atlantic Yards project — but did not utter the name that often draws catcalls: Bruce Ratner.
Markowitz raved about the housing, shopping, and jobs the project will allegedly generate, claiming the 16-tower arena, hotel and office space development “will help create the new center of city life that our borough of 2.6 million residents deserves.”
But he also promised to “be responsive to the concerns of those in the area surrounding Atlantic Yards, and to make this project one that all Brooklynites are proud of for generations to come.”
But he didn’t explain how he would do that, given his overwhelming support for the project and the fact that it has already been approved by the state.
Courier-Life Publications, Markowtiz touts Bklyn ‘renaissance’
By Stephen Witt
Courier-Life continues to cheer on the controversial Atlantic Yards project (maybe they'll ask questions later):
Markowitz also continued to cheer on the controversial Atlantic Yards project which includes 16 skyscrapers and an arena to house the Nets NBA basketball team as well as other events.
“Last month, we learned that Barclays, one of the largest financial institutions in the world, will kick off its expansion in America by investing $400 million to name the Atlantic Yards arena the Barclays Center,” said Markowitz.
“The naming of the Barclays Center is a major step toward making one of my own dreams for Brooklyn a reality,” he added.
Markowitz pointed out that the project will not only include thousands of apartments for Brooklynites of all incomes, but new jobs for residents of every skill level with many being solid union jobs.
The project will also feature eight acres of open space, a new school, shopping, a boutique hotel, and world-class architect Frank Gehry designing it — all above one of the largest public-transportation hubs in the metropolitan region.
“Atlantic Yards will help create the new center of city life that our borough of 2.6 million residents deserves,” he said.
NoLandGrab: We don't understand why Marty is still touting Ratner's deal with Barclays, since it received the same cold shoulder from the African-American community as the Beep's overtures to Cracker Barrel.
Posted by lumi at February 9, 2007 8:12 AM