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February 9, 2007
Thoughts on Atlantic Yards
The Brooklyn Rail
By Brian J. Carreira
Another Atlantic Yards must-read by one of the first reporters who came on the scene to provide critical news reporting and analysis of the Atlantic Yards plan.
Though Carreira now lives in an "undisclosed location," he's been following recent events and offers this look back on how Ratner had his way with our elected representatives, who had their way with Brooklyn.
Just over three years ago, developer Bruce Ratner announced plans to build a basketball arena and skyscrapers in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, a block and a half from where I lived at the time. I wrote about the proposal in these pages, highlighting its effects on the local community and the public relations tactics used to sell it to the people of New York.
When I wrote about the manipulations of the developer, the brokenness of the public processes, and the general drawbacks that such a massive undertaking—an arena and 16 towers spread across 22 acres—would entail, I always secretly believed that level heads would rule the day in the end. I assumed that the ugliest extravagances of the project would be scaled back or even eliminated. And that a combination of community pressure and common sense would inform our elected officials to demand less excess and more benefit from Forest City Ratner Companies.
Sad to say, this never happened.
Posted by lumi at February 9, 2007 1:01 PM