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March 20, 2007
Report: Ratner among state lobby leaders
MetroNY
By Amy Zimmer
Forest City Ratner spent roughly $2.11 million on lobbying efforts last year for its $4 billion Atlantic Yards development plan, making it the state’s third highest spender, trailing a health care lobbyist group and Verizon. The state’s recently released figures prompted outcry yesterday from project foe Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn.
The group criticized Forest City Ratner for its spending on lobbyists in light of recent news that rather than having the developer dip into its own pockets to pay the Metropolitan Transportation Authority for the rights to build over the rail yards, the city may cough up an additional $100 million in taxpayer money for the 8.5-acre parcel of the 22-acre site.
The largest single lobbying contract in 2006 was the $656,520 Forest City Ratner paid the Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson firm. The report also shows that Forest City Ratner employed eight different lobby firms last year.
Also, another development threatening the use of eminent domain coughed up beaucoup bucks to get their point across to state officials:
Columbia University, which is eyeing expansion in West Harlem, paid the second-largest contract — $527,875 — to Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel.
Posted by lumi at March 20, 2007 7:21 AM