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April 30, 2007
Tune in...
WNYC, Brian Lehrer Show
93.9FM, 820 AM
TODAY, 10:00AM
Ron Shiffman will be a guest on Brian Lehrer's show to talk about the film that has Brooklyn talking, Isabel Hill's "Brooklyn Matters."
Posted by lumi at 9:21 AM
Reference or fantasy? The (projected) ten-year Atlantic Yards timeline
Atlantic Yards Report commissioned this graphical timeline from Abby Weissman of southoxford.com, which combines a map of the master plan of Bruce Ratner's controversial Atlantic Yards project with the construction timeline from the Final Environmental Impact Statement.
Should Ratner's schedule be taken seriously?
Project landscape architect Laurie Olin said it could take 20 years. Chuck Ratner of parent company Forest City Enterprises said it could take 15 years. Such schedules would delay the provision of promised benefits like affordable housing and open space and cause "interim surface parking" to persist.
When Atlantic Yards was announced 12/10/03, backers said that arena would begin development in 2004. It's more than two years late.
Beyond that, the project is likely well behind the stated timetable. Demolition of buildings in the Phase 1 arena footprint was to be completed by 7/2/07; several of those buildings almost certainly will remain enmeshed in litigation beyond that date.
NoLandGrab: For Bruce Ratner's purposes, what is the value of an inaccurate timeline?
Posted by lumi at 9:06 AM
It came from the Blogosphere...
Here's what they're saying in and around Ratnerville, on or about this weekend:
three times sixty, house hunting
A local blogger and Atlantic Yards refugee begins house hunting:
We've been renting since we quickly sold our fantastic but poorly located apartment (the Atlantic Yards project was literally in our backyard), so today we went on our first open house mission. One word: demoralizing. Everything was on the high end of our price range which means we couldn't afford the renovations every single place desperately needed.
Gowanus Lounge, Atlantic Yards on a Map in Under Ten Years
Forest City Ratner says Atlantic Yards will take ten years, but other experts judge 15-20 years to be a more realistic timeline:
If the 20-year estimate is accurate, children born on the day of the parapet collapse last week will be in college before a building is ever built on the site. Put another way, blocks of what used to be Prospect Heights will sit as "interim surface parking" for almost two decades.
Brooklynian.com, "Brooklyn Matters" doc on WNYC's Brian Lehrer this
"Pitu" just checked out "Brooklyn Matters" and posted this observation:
If you haven't been following it so closely, or even if you have, this is a film to see. I think it's very compelling by sticking to facts and staying away from preaching or polemic.
hot damn, entropy!, Homeless Double Jeopardy
Regarding the "nearly 100 families" evacuated from "a neighboring homeless shelter" after the Ward Bakery parapet collapse:
So, are they like, super-duper double homeless now?
Posted by lumi at 8:18 AM
Atlantic Yards Revisioning
Seeing Green attended the UNITY 2007 charette and posted his observations on his blog.
"It's not the Land Use, it's the Land Experience," said one participant in the Unity 2007 charette sponsored by the Council of Brooklyn Neighborhoods, Hunter College CCPD and the ever-indefatigable Council Member Letitia James.
A very telling point. Atlantic Yards as envisioned by Forest City Ratner (at right) does not allay the on-street experience of out-of-scale buildings, closed-off and privatized open space, destruction of the Brooklyn street fabric or the wall of separation created between two old and vibrant Brooklyn neighborhoods. Not to mention that it will be the densent built environment in the US.
About seventy-five were present Saturday at the charette....
The charette participants were offered the choice of several groups to join: Long term Planning, Transportation, Open space and Connections, Affordable Housing, etc. Each was run by a facilitator and was asked to consider three scenarios: if Ratner built Phase I of his project (essentially a third of the build-out); if the entire project was built out (in which case this exercises was doomed to irrelevancy, I thought,) and if nothing of his was built, which clean slate approach would provide the most interest in new design.
...
What one comes away with from this exercise is that the sum of ideas is more than the parts; that a group of diverse people with interest but not necessarily expertise (though there were many planners and architects and engineers present,) can brainstorm together to create a cohesive vision that far surpasses the pedestrian efforts of a developer like FCB.
Posted by lumi at 8:11 AM
A subtraction from the Ward Bakery
Atlantic Yards Report
Though the Empire State Development Corporation has announced a suspension of demolition, some thing disappeared off of the Ward Bakery building between the parapet collapse on Thursday and the erection of a sidewalk shed on Friday.
What's missing from the Ward Bakery? A two-story, seemingly-improvised temporary cinderblock wall that rose above the western segment of the building, in the foreground of the photo above, forming a link of sorts with the adjacent building and creating some additional interior space.
That wall existed after 200 feet of the parapet tumbled on Thursday, as shown in the bottom of the two photos below. It likely was less stable than the rest of the building and demolished on Friday, the same day the scaffolding was installed.
Norman Oder is hoping to learn more about what kind of demolitions may proceed during the suspension from the Department of Buildings (DOB).
UPDATE: ESDC spokesperson Errol Cockfield confirmed that the demolition of the wall was ordered by the Department of Buildings and that "any action they order the developer to take will have to do with safety."
NoLandGrab: It's reassuring to know that, at a minimum, the ESDC and DOB have the public's SAFETY in mind, because, until this point, we're not sure they have been mindful of anyone's needs other than Ratner's.
Posted by lumi at 7:55 AM
Sunday Comix (On Monday? Don't Ask — Don't Tell)
Posted by lumi at 7:13 AM
April 29, 2007
Clinton Hill the "bloggiest" neighborhood? Nah, it's Prospect Heights
Atlantic Yards Report analyzes the recent report from Outside.in that names Clinton Hill as the bloggiest hood.
While Brownstoner is an interesting and popular blog, especially because of the robust comments section, it is hardly a blog focused exclusively on Clinton Hill. (Butler's based there.) Rather, it's a blog about Brooklyn real estate and neighborhoods faced with development.And Atlantic Yards is hardly the "local obsession" that distinguishes Clinton Hill from other nearby neighborhoods. NoLandGrab is clearly the comprehensive source for Atlantic Yards-related information, with far more posts per day than Brownstoner's total on all topics.
I originally thought that Outside.in didn't consider NLG as bloggy because it doesn't accept comments. Actually, one of the two people behind NLG--the weekend person--lives in Clinton Hill and registered the blog on Outside.in as "Clinton Hill." (The weekday person lives in Park Slope.)
Outside.in relies most heavily on NoLandGrab in its Atlantic Yards section. Its press release didn't mention NLG.
Posted by amy at 11:22 AM
When Demolished Buildings Attack
New York Magazine/Intelligencer
Prospect Heights: After the Atlantic Yards demolition caused debris to rain down on Pacific Street, local politicians want construction to halt. [The Brooklyn Paper]
Posted by amy at 11:16 AM
Board 2 demands Wash. Sq. design presentation, or else
The Villager on how Atlantic Yards is similar to Washington Square Park?
Addressing the board before last Thursday’s vote, Schwartz — a top union attorney — said Parks’ saying it can’t comment because of the ongoing litigation is just a convenient “cover.”“The fact that you’re being sued by somebody doesn’t mean you don’t participate in the public process,” he said. He noted that although Bruce Ratner’s development plans for Brooklyn’s Atlantic Yards are being challenged in the courts, it hasn’t stopped public hearings about the project from being held.
Posted by amy at 11:11 AM
Bruce Ratner vs. the Homeless, Too
New York Magazine/Intelligencer
350 residents were ordered out of a homeless shelter after a parapet fell off a Ratner-condemned building next door. Even the dourest pessimists at Develop Don't Destroy didn't think mass displacement at Atlantic Yards would already be an issue. [NYT]
Posted by amy at 11:05 AM
The News in Quotes: Hardball, Gadflies and Bus Bulbs
New York Times/Empire Zone
Atlantic Yards Mishap: “So if it turns out that a heavy rain almost two weeks ago can make a parapet fall, isn’t that all the more reason that they should have taken better precautions?” – Daniel Goldstein of Develop Don’t Destroy, about Forest City Ratner, after a partical collapse at its project site.
Posted by amy at 10:58 AM
April 28, 2007
In Ratnerville, when it rains it snows...
Flatbush/Dean 1:30pm there was a sudden giant white cloud. Then firetrucks. Then when we could see, there was this. It seems like the snow-like substance sprayed down from the roof over the gas pumps. No word on a cause...
FYI the pavement at the gas station is normally gray.
You'll have to excuse the fine people of this neighborhood if it seems like we're getting a little jumpy.
A poster on Brooklynian had a suggested cause:
that's the fine residue from marty and berthathey imploded from shame
Posted by amy at 2:29 PM
Overheard on Bergen and Flatbush
Two guys talking about the signage on a new store:
"'Arena Bagels and Bialys' - they should have made the words 'Bagels' and 'Bialys' bigger. No around here cares about an Arena."
Posted by amy at 2:15 PM
B'KLYN 'YARD' WORK HALTED
NY Post
Rich Calder
The move to halt the demolition and abatement work came at the request of Councilwoman Letitia James, the Council of Brooklyn Neighborhoods, and residents living within a zone that Ratner wants to replace with an NBA arena and 16 skyscrapers."The ESDC [needs] to convene an oversight body to ensure that if work resumes, there is an accountable body for the public and elected officials to turn to," the group Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn said.
Posted by amy at 12:09 PM
Atlantic Yards Demolition Work Suspended
WNYC
REPORTER: Friday's decision from developer Forest City Ratner came after a partial collapse of a five story building's roof parapet on Thursday. Workers were removing asbestos, and readying the building for demolition.But Peter Krashes, President of the Dean Street Block Association, says there are larger problems, including a lack of information about how the project is being implemented, and inadequate oversight. Krashes says its time for the Governor to address these problems.
KRASHES: The person whos is responsible for what happens in this footprint is the governor of the state of New York. And we are desperate for the governor to respond to the questions we've asked.
Posted by amy at 12:06 PM
Atlantic Yards work stops, for now, after parapet falls
AP via AMNY
Work will stop while city buildings officials investigate why a 200-foot hunk of the parapet atop a five-story building came loose and plunged onto a sidewalk, according to the developer, Forest City Ratner, and the Empire State Development Corp., a state agency that approved the giant Brooklyn project, called Atlantic Yards."We recognize the need for the Atlantic Yards project to continue to progress safely without causing disorder in the lives of residents of the surrounding neighborhoods," the development agency said Friday.
No one was hurt when the parapet section fell off the former Ward Bread Bakery building on Thursday. But about 350 people at a homeless shelter next door were temporarily evacuated, and several parked cars were damaged.
Posted by amy at 12:01 PM
Officials, Community Groups Demand Atlantic Yards Oversight after Façade Collapse Halts Demolition
Commercial Property News
By Paul Rosta, Senior Associate Editor
“We are temporarily suspending all abatement and demolition activities until the city’s department of buildings concludes its preliminary investigation or the city directs us otherwise,” said Forest City Ratner executive vice president Bruce Bender in a prepared statement released this morning.But the response is unlikely to satisfy a group of elected officials and local community groups who are criticizing what they view as insufficient public oversight of the massive project. This afternoon BrooklynSpeaks.net planned to demand that New York Governor Eliot Spitzer stop demolition until the establishment of a public entity that would oversee construction as well as the design and planning for the project. In addition, the coalition wants to see a council composed of community boards, civic organizations and other local stakeholders that would give the authority input on community concerns.
Gib Veconi, chairman of one of the local councils that make up BrooklynSpeaks.net, called the creation of such an authority “a critical missing piece” of the Atlantic Yards development. He argued that the state has established a comparable oversight structure for every other project sponsored by the Empire State Development Corp., New York’s lead economic development agency. Veconi linked the absence of oversight for several previous construction-related problems on the project, such as the loss of water service in one area.
Posted by amy at 11:56 AM
Pols to Spitzer: Stop ‘Yards’ work
The Brooklyn Paper
By Gersh Kuntzman
Forest City Ratner Vice President Bruce Bender told New York 1 that the company was not responsible for the partial building collapse.“At the time of the purchase, in March, 2006, the building was already in a state of disrepair,” Bender said. “We will, of course, work very closely with the Buildings Department and other agencies to determine the cause of the collapse and to ensure public safety.”
article
Was Ward's Bakery already in a state of disrepair at the time of purchase? Norman Oder deciphers the timeline of blight...
Posted by amy at 11:47 AM
Atlantic Yards work temporarily suspended
Crain's
Catherine Tymkiw
“We simply don’t believe that the building was unstable, that is until Ratner’s contractors went in,” said Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn spokesman Daniel Goldstein, in a statement released Thursday. “There should be no ‘next time.’”While Mr. Goldstein said the temporary suspension on demolition work was clearly the right course of action, “They need to go beyond this and have a way to monitor what’s going on here. There’s too much that can go wrong.”
ESDC and Forest City’s decision to suspend all abatement and demolition activities came just hours ahead of a planned press conference organized by the Council of Brooklyn Neighborhoods, which had intended on calling for an immediate work stoppage at the Prospect Heights site.
“It is tragic that 350 residents, consisting of 94 families, have been displaced because of [Thursday] morning’s occurrence,” said Councilwoman Letitia James.
Posted by amy at 11:44 AM
Work Suspended On Atlantic Yards Project Following Wall Collapse
NY1
"There is no oversight. You approve the project and you don't even check if you did anything correctly,” said Daniel McCala of Borough Preservation Alliance."Whether it is people who favor the project or people who oppose the project there has got to be a common meeting table where everyone understands the schedule, everyone understands ramifications, everyone understands what it all means and why,” said Councilman Bill de Blasio.
Posted by amy at 11:35 AM
The Ward Bakery and a tangled tale of blight
Atlantic Yards Report
After 200 feet of parapet fell Thursday from the Ward Bakery, there are understandable suspicions about the condition of the building. Had it deteriorated rapidly because of weather, as a fire chief speculated? Had any work on the building affected its integrity, as some in the neighborhood wondered?
(Photo by Tracy Collins.)But another curious tale regards the Empire State Development Corporation's Atlantic Yards Blight Study. While the bakery was deemed blighted in part because of an open building code violation, rendering the building hazardous, that violation actually had been resolved well before the Blight Study was concluded.
Posted by amy at 11:29 AM
The Atlantic Yards pause isn’t enough, groups say, seeking more oversight
Atlantic Yards Report covers the politcal reaction to the recent collapses, as well as subtle differences of the various press conferences:
City Council Member Letitia James may be the elected official most clearly opposed to Atlantic Yards, but her reaction to the incident Thursday at the Ward Bakery—calling for a suspension of demolition work—turned out to be exactly what the Empire State Development Corporation and developer Forest City Ratner agreed to late yesterday morning. That meant James was ahead of Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries, who issued a more cautious statement Thursday, and other elected officials who were prepared to ask yesterday for such a suspension.
(Photo by Robert Guskind of the Gowanus Lounge.)Still, the Atlantic Yards pause isn’t sufficient, said elected officials and representatives of community groups at two press conferences yesterday. They want a significant amount of oversight beyond what currently exists; an ESDC spokesman yesterday hinted that some increased oversight was coming, but wouldn't specify it.
It's an open question as to whether that oversight will come before the completion of Department of Buildings investigation into the causes of the collapse of a 200-foot parapet, which rained debris five stories down on cars and the sidewalk--and, fortunately, no people.
The New York Times today focused only on the temporary stoppage of work, as did a widely-distributed Associated Press article, while the Post cited the additional request for oversight.
Posted by amy at 11:17 AM
Project Halted in Brooklyn for Inquiry Into Accident
New York Times once again refuses to name its baby's daddy:
One day after the partial collapse of a building being prepared for demolition to make way for the Atlantic Yards project in Brooklyn, the state and the developer announced that work would be stopped pending the outcome of the city’s investigation into the accident.Workers for the developer, Forest City Ratner, were removing asbestos from a former industrial bakery on Thursday morning when a 200-foot parapet on top of the building fell five stories onto Pacific Street. No one was hurt, but several cars were damaged, and a homeless shelter next door was evacuated for much of the day.
Opponents of the project had tried in vain to have the 97-year-old building at 800 Pacific Street, known as the Ward Bread Bakery complex, designated a city landmark. The bakery’s planned destruction had been cast as a symbol of the changes that the project — 8 million square feet of high-rise housing, office space and a basketball arena — would visit upon the neighborhood, which is near Downtown Brooklyn.
article
Maybe the Times needs a disclose-o-matic machine to help them remember to give shout-outs to their Very Important business Partners...
Posted by amy at 11:12 AM
For Immediate Release: Sponsors of BrooklynSpeaks.net Call on ESDC Not to Permit Work to Resume until Oversight is Established
BrooklynSpeaks
The sponsors of the Brooklynspeaks.net campaign today thanked the State for halting work on the Atlantic Yards site, but joined Brooklyn elected officials in calling on Governor Spitzer not to permit work to resume until meaningful public oversight of the project has been established and a framework for addressing community concerns has been created.“We’re relieved that the State has halted work on the Atlantic Yards site in light of yesterday’s accident. But halting demolition alone does not go far enough. Work must not resume until an oversight mechanism for construction has been established.” said Michelle de la Uz, Executive Director of the Fifth Avenue Committee. “The level of oversight and accountability needs to be proportionate to the scale and potential impact of this enormous project.”
Yesterday’s accident was the latest in a series of major incidents that have occurred without meaningful public oversight in place. In February, water was cut off on Dean Street after an incident involving pre-demolition work on pipes. At the beginning of April, neighborhood residents noticed potentially asbestos-laden debris falling on a nearby building. Despite informing both the New York City Department of Environmental Protection and Department of Buildings, no meaningful steps were taken by the City or State to address the issue, such as sampling or testing of the debris to check for asbestos content.
Posted by amy at 11:02 AM
Shrill Of The Week: More Atlantic Yards Doggerel
There couldn't be a better way to start off the weekend than by reading Dope on the Slope's coverage of the Ward Bakery collapse:
Brucey-Wucey: Ballad Of A Bad Egg
Brucey-wucey knocked down a wall,
Brucey-wucey caused it to fall.
All of his cronies, and
All of his flaks
Couldn't persuade Brooklynites to relax.Limerick Memorializing The Great Ward's Bakery Calamity
There once was a fellow named Bruce,
Whose crew knocked a ton of bricks loose.
They fell to the ground
With a horrible sound.
There's a reason, but there's no excuse.
Posted by amy at 10:51 AM
TODAY: UNITY 2007
VANDERBILT YARDS DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP
UNDERSTANDING AND TRANSFORMING THE YARDS
April 28th, 10 AM to 4 PM
HANSON PL. UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
144 St. Felix Street
Registration begins 9:30AM.
(Bring a brown bag lunch*)
With lawsuits pending, and mounting opposition to the project, Forest City Ratner's plan is NOT A DONE DEAL. What if the project is not built? What it if it's only partly built? Now is the time to build the UNITY© 2007 Plan, an updated and comprehensive plan for the Vanderbilt Yards, developed for and by the residents of Brooklyn.
* Other types of bags welcome too!
Posted by lumi at 1:13 AM
April 27, 2007
"You'll find out who the police is soon enough"
"You'll find out who the police is soon enough," said the hard-hat on scene at the site of yesterday's Ward Bakery Building collapse, to one participant making his way to today's Council of Brooklyn Neighborhoods' (CBN) press conference.
The word from the press conference is that Forest City Ratner contractors doing god-knows-what at the Ward Bakery building called the police to report that a demonstration without a permit was in progress.
Officers, as promised, responded to the scene midway through the press conference.
CBN Co-Chair Candace Carponter told the officers that the "demonstration" was in fact a press conference, and that approximately half the "protesters" were actually reporters.
Officers left the scene without making any arrests.
Posted by lumi at 12:56 PM
For the Curious, It’s Open House Season
The NY Times
PROSPECT HEIGHTS, FORT GREENE AND CLINTON HILL, BROOKLYN, JUNE 3
At least 15 gardens will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. for the 10th annual Brownstone Brooklyn Garden District’s Garden Walk. They include a children’s play garden and two “endangered” gardens within the proposed Atlantic Yards development. Tickets, $20, at the Forest Floor, 659 Vanderbilt Avenue (Prospect Place), Prospect Heights; at the Brooklyn Academy of Music garden, Lafayette Avenue at St. Felix Street in Fort Greene; and at Tillie’s, DeKalb and Vanderbilt Avenues in Clinton Hill. Advance tickets, $15, and information: (718) 707-1277. There is no Web site.
NoLandGrab: By "endangered" they mean that the two gardens are on properties that are being condemned via eminent domain for the Atlantic Yards project.
Posted by lumi at 12:50 PM
ESDC/Forest City suspend all demolitions; more oversight coming
Atlantic Yards Report
Norman Oder posted the ESDC statement and, since he's a real journalist, called the ESDC for further comment.
I asked ESDC spokesman Errol Cockfield whether there was more oversight coming, as requested by numerous community groups. His response indicated a yes, though the ESDC is not ready to announce specifics.
"We have an interim environmental monitor in AKRF and we are on the verge of selecting an environmental monitor," he said. Beyond that, he added, "There have been exhaustive plans under way for some time to provide increased oversight for the Atlantic Yards project."
NoLandGrab: It has been 81 days since the ESDC announced the request for proposal for an environmental compliance monitor.
Norman Oder reported on February 28:
Responses were due February 26, with selection expected in two weeks.
For the record, the ESDC gave the public 66 days to comment on the 4,000-page Draft Environmental Impact Statement.
Posted by lumi at 12:19 PM
ESDC Calls Halt to All AY Demolitions
From Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn:
The ESDC is doing the right thing, which was called for yesterday by Councilwoman James, DDDB, CBN and others. But they need to go one step further and convene an oversight body to ensure that if work resumes, there is an accountable body for the public and elected officials to turn to.
Also, as we write this (11:30 am) Ratner contractors are still doing demolition and abatement work at 189, 191, 193 Flatbush. Sometimes ceasefire news take time to travel.
Posted by lumi at 12:14 PM
ESDC STATEMENT ON THE PARTIAL COLLAPSE AT THE ATLANTIC YARDS PROJECT
For Immediate Release Contact: ESD Press Office April 27, 2007 www.nylovesbiz.com
The partial collapse Thursday at the Ward Bakery building created serious disruptions. We’re thankful that no one was hurt and we recognize the need for the Atlantic Yards project to continue to progress safely, without causing disorder in the lives of residents in the surrounding neighborhoods.
To that end, the Empire State Development Corporation and developer Forest City Ratner have agreed that the developer will temporarily suspend all abatement and demolition activities until the City’s Department of Buildings concludes its preliminary investigation or the City directs us otherwise.
This incident requires a reassurance to the community of the buildings’ soundness before work can proceed at the site. We are in frequent contact with the developer and various city agencies to make sure that we have fully addressed all safety concerns before activities resume. The State remains committed to the project and to its timeline for completion.
NoLandGrab: On day 117 of the new Spitzer administration, for those who are looking for signs of change, note the last sentence of the release, "The State remains committed to the project and to its timeline for completion."
Posted by lumi at 11:23 AM
Breaking News: ESDC/FCR calling halt to all demolitions
Reporters are on the horn seeking reaction to the word that Forest City Ratner and the Empire State Development Corporation are calling a halt to all demolitions.
Meanwhile, one of the protesters against demolition is telling us that at this moment "they are demolishing where we protested Monday."
Posted by lumi at 11:15 AM
Homeless flee building collapse
Mishap comes weeks before Ratner wrecking ball
NY Daily News
By Jotham Sederstrom
Portions of the historic Ward Baking Company building in Prospect Heights collapsed Thursday, raining debris on cars and forcing evacuation of a homeless shelter.
...
"Construction workers were working on the building, [but] I don't know in what capacity," said an FDNY spokesman who noted there were no injuries.
...
"There should be no further demolition on any of these buildings until an independent investigator can be called on to see what's going on here," said Patty Hagan, an opponent of the $4.2 billion project. "That building was extremely sturdy. I'd call what happened an awfully odd coincidence."The Red Cross sought temporary homes for 90 families evacuated from the shelter.
"All of the residents of this homeless shelter are now, quite literally, out on the street with their babies in their arms," said a furious neighbor.
The Ward building, once called "the snow-white temple of bread-making cleanliness," had been a cause célèbre for preservationists. Its terra cotta-tiled facade was cited by the Municipal Art Society and considered for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. ...
Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries, whose name is scrawled on the building in graffiti form that reads "Hakeem [heart] Ratner," stopped short of calling for a demolition freeze or an independent monitor.
Posted by lumi at 11:02 AM
Fun With Parapets: Ward Bakery, Before & After
The Gowanus Lounge
PARAPETOLOGY — What a difference 20 days makes.
 |
Truth be told, we hadn't thought much about parapets before 10:15 yesterday morning, nor had much opportunity to use the word in our writing. Ever. In any case, here's a little Ward Bakery before and after comparison, to give an indication of just how much parapet would have landed on your head had you had the misfortune to have been on Pacific Street around 9:50AM yesterday morning.
Posted by lumi at 10:56 AM
Who put the Rat in Ratnerville?
By chance, Atlantic Yards had its own mascot yesterday (with sidekick Ratner VP Bruce Bender on the far left). The irony was noted by a couple of commenters in other blogs that posted photos from the site of yesterday's collapse, and earned its own special post in Curbed.
The Rat was in front of Henry Weinstein's building, currently leased by developer Shaya Boymelgreen, who is being stalked by the unions all over Brooklyn for his use of non-union labor.
What's particularly bizarre is that The Rat is parked in front of the same building that Boymelgreen tried to lease out to Bruce Ratner, who, despite Weinstein's protestations and a pending lawsuit, repeatedly claimed he controlled. Earlier this year, a judge sided with Weinstein and the deal between Boymelgreen and Ratner was voided, returning "control" of the property to Weinstein, who has since joined the federal eminent domain lawsuit.
If Boymelgreen (the anti-Christ of the local trade unions) had succeeded, then Ratner (the patron saint of the local unions) would have had Weinstein in a headlock.
Posted by lumi at 10:50 AM
Details, comments, questions emerge about the falling parapet at the Ward Bakery
Atlantic Yards Report analyzes the media coverage of the Ward Bakery collapse:
The city's Department of Buildings has issued a violation to Forest City Ratner for failing to maintain the exterior wall of the Ward Bakery, though no shed was required. Meanwhile, more than 300 people from the adjacent homeless shelter had to evacuate, and questions remain about how and why the 200-foot stretch of the parapet fell yesterday, and what oversight agencies will do.
Posted by lumi at 10:32 AM
Part of Roof Collapses At Atlantic Yards Site
The NY Sun ran a short item on page 2:
A piece of a rooftop parapet in the footprint of Brooklyn's Atlantic Yards project collapsed yesterday onto the street, hitting parked cars and forcing the evacuation of about 350 people in a nearby building.
The collapse of the 200-foot stretch of the building at 800 Pacific Street came as the developer for the project, Forest City Ratner, had recently started its early demolition of vacant buildings.
Workers were performing abatement on the five-story building, a spokesman for Forest City Ratner said. Demolition has not yet begun.
No injuries were reported.
A spokeswoman for the department of buildings said the Red Cross was working to help relocate the displaced residents, who were evacuated as a precautionary measure.
Workers were performing abatement on the five-story building, a spokesman for Forest City Ratner said. Demolition has not yet begun.
Posted by lumi at 10:07 AM
ATLANTIC YARDS BLDG. COLLAPSE
NY Post
By Rich Calder
The Post allots 90 words for yesterday's partial collapse of the Ward Bakery building:
Part of a building targeted for demolition to make way for the Atlantic Yards Brooklyn arena project collapsed yesterday, raining bricks down on parked cars and leaving 350 homeless people without a shelter.
No one was injured, and FDNY officials said there was no sign of foul play.
Councilwoman Letitia James and others called for an investigation and a halt to the demolition of at least 15 buildings.
Huge cement chunks of a parapet atop the five-story former Ward Bread Bakery came crashing down on Pacific Street at about 9:45 a.m.
NoLandGrab: FYI, yesterday, the Post allowed 700 words for Craig Charney's defense of Atlantic Yards.
Posted by lumi at 9:49 AM
On the street
Collapse at Atlantic Yards site forces evacuation
MetroNY
By Amy Zimmer
Additional reporting by Michael Rundle
Another ear-witness of yesterday's collapse at the Ward Bakery building:
“I was getting my kids ready this morning when the roof collapsed,” said Janelle Charles, 25, a shelter resident. “I heard a bump and thought workers had dropped something heavy. Either that or it was an earthquake.”
She and other residents waited on the sidewalk for hours while emergency services tried to establish if the building was secure. “I’m hungry, cold and I have toothache, too,” she said.
The Red Cross helped relocate more than 75 residents to the Atlantic Terminal Senior Center.
Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn's spokesperson says what seems to be on everyone's mind:
Daniel Goldstein, spokesman for project foe Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn. “If Ratner had thought this building was unstable, you have to believe they would have taken at least the precautionary measure of placing protective sidewalk sheds along the building in order to safeguard the community. We simply don’t believe that the building was unstable, that is until Ratner’s contractors went in.”
On day 116 of the Spitzer administration, the Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC), still "listening" and taking "a hard look," has this to say for themselves:
ESDC spokesman Errol Cockfield said the agency is in the process of hiring a monitor and “is conferring with the developer, the city, and various government agencies to find out exactly what happened and to help coordinate a thorough response.”
Forest City Ratner's spokesperson said what you'd expect:
"...we are investigating the cause of the incident,” said Bruce Bender, an executive vice preident at Forest City Ratner.
Posted by lumi at 9:39 AM
AYR roundup on density and planning issues
One Atlantic Yards Report item about a Nathan Glazer lecture got left in the rubble after news of yesterday's collapse at the Ward Bakery building. Today Norman Oder follows up Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff's excuses for Atlantic Yards.
At Glazer talk on modernism, AY is poster child for too much density
Nathan Glazer, the eminent Harvard sociologist and social critic, came to New York on April 17 to speak about his new collection of essays, From a Cause to a Style: Modernist Architecture’s Encounter with the American City--and Atlantic Yards came in for some criticism..
Protest, he said at one point, “is one form of discovering when density is too much,” and that certainly points to Brooklyn. (He spoke at the Yale Club, sponsored by the Manhattan Institute.)
Doctoroff (sort of) says city didn't "reach out" regarding Atlantic Yards
Deputy Mayor Dan Docotroff on lessons learned:
“The first thing we’ve learned is that it’s absolutely critical to get the communities involved right up front. I will be honest—to the extent that we’ve made mistakes in the past, it’s because we haven’t reached out early enough or aggressively enough to communities.
NoLandGrab: Is it even worth the trouble to say, "We told you so."
Posted by lumi at 9:21 AM
Soft Focus
Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn (DDDB) questions the sincerity of a Forest City Ratner spokesperson:
From the Times regarding the "collapse" of a a 200 foot parapet on the Ward Bakery Building owned by Forest City Ratner:
...“Our focus is on the safety of the community and we are doing everything in our power to maintain it,” [Ratner spokesman] Mr. [Loren] Riegelhaupt said. He said the removal of the [protective sidewalk] shed was necessary to allow access to sewer lines under the sidewalk that the city will require to be blocked before demolition of the building is begun... (emphasis and clarifications added)
Really? If community safety is their focus and they are doing everything in their power, why didn't they replace the sidewalk sheds after the sewer work, and before asbestos abatement started?
Posted by lumi at 9:00 AM
Parapet Falls From Building to Be Demolished for Atlantic Yards
The NY Times
By Thomas J. Lueck and Daryl Khan
About 350 people were temporarily ordered out of a homeless shelter in Brooklyn yesterday after a 200-foot-long parapet on the roof of an adjacent building that was about to be demolished....
...
No demolition permit has been issued by the city for 800 Pacific Street, because all the asbestos in the building must be removed first.
NoLandGrab: So the "building was about to be demolished," but "no demolition permit has been issued?"
Tashie Sloley, a resident of the homeless shelter, the Pacific and Dean Residence Shelter, at 768 Pacific Street, said she heard “a big boom that shook the floor” and hurried outside with her two infant daughters when someone called out, “Please evacuate the building and don’t panic.”
“When I heard ‘don’t panic,’ I panicked,” said Ms. Sloley, who spent several hours on the sidewalk in a line of displaced residents.
Ms. Sloley poignantly expresses exactly how the community has felt about Atlantic Yards since it was first announced in 2003.
This article got one important fact right — there were workers on the roof at the time of the collapse:
No shelter residents, pedestrians or workers on the roof were hurt when the parapet on the vacant building, the former Ward Bread Bakery complex, at 800 Pacific Street, fell five stories about 9:30 a.m., although several cars were damaged. About 20 workers were on the roof at the time, removing asbestos that must be removed before the city will allow the building, between Carlton and Vanderbilt Avenues, to be demolished.
NoLandGrab: We thought that the Times was finally in the habit of disclosing their business relationship with development company Forest City Ratner. Whoopsie — they forgot (again).
Posted by lumi at 8:50 AM
The Brooklyn Paper Roundup
Good Bloomy, bad Bloomy (Editorial)
The two faces of Mayor Bloomberg are again on display. One day, the mayor is one of the nation’s leading advocates of environmentally sound, community-sensitive, sensible development. The next day, he’s a backroom crony greasing the wheels for a developer who ignored the community.
...
Good Bloomy’s speech on Sunday suggested that the process that created Atlantic Yards is exactly what he doesn’t want to happen again.“As our search for land becomes more pressing in the coming decades, we must be prepared to work with communities to explore the potential of these sites,” the mayor’s PlaNYC proposal says.
Ratner’s wrecking ball hits, protested
The Brooklyn Paper roundup of the week's events garnered the usual response from Ratner:
A Ratner spokesman, Loren Riegelhaupt, responded to an e-mail request for comment from The Brooklyn Paper. His response? “We have no comment on the lawsuit or the demolition,” Riegelhaupt wrote.
Kiss their glass! Library still in trouble
Brooklyn Public Library officials reportedly said this week that their efforts to raise money for an iconic, $135-million glass-walled performing arts branch have failed — and that the project can’t go forward at this point.
...
Last year, The Brooklyn Paper reported that library trustees approached developer Bruce Ratner, a longtime BAM trustee, about funding the facility, which would be located just a few blocks from his $4-billion Atlantic Yards mega-project.But those talks apparently went nowhere.
Posted by lumi at 8:23 AM
Ward Bakery’s Rooftop Wall Comes Crashing Down
Parapet Crashes into Cars, Displaces 350 Residents of Homeless Shelter
The Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Sarah Ryley reported on the collapse and the evacuees:
The Ward Bread Bakery complex, built in 1911, is owned by developer Forest City Ratner, and is in the footprint of the 22-acre Atlantic Yards arena and high rise project. The building has been the focus of protests by preservationists who had tried to get it protected by city landmark status, and who disagree with the developer’s plan to replace the block with a large, surface parking lot during the first phase of the project’s construction.
“It took us by surprise, we thought it was a bomb in the building, it shook everything,” said Gloria Diaz, a social worker at the homeless shelter, Pacific Dean Residence. She said she accidentally inhaled dust that came pouring through the basement door when she opened it to see what happened.
Diaz said the shelter wasn’t warned of any potentially dangerous demolition. Hours after the collapse, families were still sitting on the sidewalk, waiting to find out where they would be taken.
...
But to the families waiting on the sidewalk, with all of their worldly possessions still trapped inside the evacuated shelter, a hot meal and a safe place to sleep were the only things on their minds.“I’m ready to cry,” said Shirley, who has been living in the shelter with her three kids for nine months. “This is my home right now, and I don’t know where I’m going to go.” Shirley said two of her kids go to school in the area, and she’s concerned they’ll end up someplace dangerous or far away.
Each of the families at the Pacific Dean Residence has their own studio and bathroom, with a door that locks. They could be temporarily transferred to a school, church or hotel reception hall, said Jean Sylla, a Red Cross senior official at the scene.
Sylla said Red Cross officials had briefly spoken to a Forest City Ratner representative, but had no details beyond that about how the developer would assist in relocating families.
Posted by lumi at 8:11 AM
Building at Atlantic Yards site collapses
NY Newsday/amNY
By Michael Clancy
A portion of the parapet wall on the five-story former Ward Bakery building in Prospect Heights came crashing onto the sidewalk outside 800 Pacific St. at 9:48 a.m. The collapse showered the sidewalk with bricks and caused the two adjoining buildings, including a shelter for homeless women and children, to be evacuated, the fire department said. Several cars parked on the street were damaged.
...
"This is one of number of incidents that's happened at Atlantic Yards site," said Councilwoman Leticia James (D-Brooklyn), who asked that the project, which is in her district, be halted immediately. "It's because there is no oversight, no coordinator, no government oversight. It's just a developer run amok in the community."
NoLandGrab: The day before the collapse, DOT workers closed off 5th Ave. north of Flatbush to repair a "roadway collapse." The DOT blames DEP subcontractors for the incident. What Councilmember James said bears repeating, "there is no oversight, no coordinator, no government oversight. It's just a developer run amok in the community."
The buildings department said 75 people were evacuated as a precaution. However, the fire department said 350 people were taken to shelters as engineers assess the structural integrity of the adjoining buildings.
Posted by lumi at 8:05 AM
PRESS RELEASE: Demolitions at Atlantic Yards Must be Suspended!
Council of Brooklyn Neighborhoods, Elected Officials, and Community Leaders Call on the Empire State Development Corporation and the Department of Buildings to Suspend the Demolitions as a result of the partial collapse of Wards Bakery
New York, NY -- The Council of Brooklyn Neighborhoods, which is comprised of over forty community organizations from Prospect Heights, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Park Slope, Boerum Hill, and neighboring communities, will assemble on Friday, April 27, 2007 to demand that the demolitions in the footprint of the proposed Atlantic Yards project be suspended immediately.
On Thursday April 26, 2007, 200 feet of parapet fell five stories from the top of the Wards Bakery. No sidewalk shed was in place, although pre-demolition work had been commenced on the building by Forest City Ratner Companies, the developer of the Atlantic Yards Project. Fortunately, no one was injured, but approximately 100 families were immediately displaced because of the potential danger of additional collapse.
CBN's member organizations will be joined by elected officials and community leaders in calling for the ESDC and the DOB to immediately suspend all demolitions in the footprint until:
a thorough investigation as to the cause of the collapse can be conducted.
safeguards can be implemented to prevent similar events with the potential for significant harm to the community and its residents and visitors.
appropriate oversight can be put in place to monitor the demolition and construction for the Atlantic Yards project to insure that it is done without risk to the community and with the least possible interruption to the lives of those who are facing construction of this project over the next ten to twenty years.
Representatives of the member organizations of CBN, as well as elected officials and community leaders, will be in attendance to express their concern about the lack of proper oversight of this project sponsored by the ESDC.
What:
Press Conference on the community's demand for a thorough investigation, appropriate
safeguards, and the implementation of effective oversight before any further work can
proceed on the proposed Atlantic Yards project.
Who:
Council of Brooklyn Neighborhoods, along with its member organizations, including Fort Greene Association, Society for Clinton Hill, Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn, Atlantic Avenue Betterment Association, Friends of Greater Gowanus (FROGG), Boerum Hill Association, Park Slope Neighbors, Prospect Height Action Coalition, Council Member Letitia James, Senator Velmanette Montgomery, Reverend Dennis Dillon of Brooklyn Christian Center and others
When:
Friday, April 27, 2007, 12:00 noon.
Where:
Wards Bakery, 800 Pacific Street (near Vanderbilt) Brooklyn, NY
Posted by lumi at 8:01 AM
It came from the Blogosphere...
Gothamist, Extra, Extra
Portions of a building set for demolition for Bruce Ratner's Atlantic Yards project collapsed this morning. Perhaps it can be seen as a cost savings for Ratner?
OnNYTurf, Oh Man Is Ratner In Trouble Now: Building Crashes on Street
You can hear the snarking on Curbed already...
Apparently part of the Ward Bakery at the Atlantic Yards site, being demoed by Ratner crashed into the street...
Right on the damn Miata!
Yonkers Tribune, Ward Bakery Building Partially Collapses While Ratner Contractors Work on Building
The "home of the acid-tongued bloggers" from Yonkers keep tabs on what Bruce Ratner is up to in Brooklyn. Yesterday the blog posted Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn's press release.
Brownstoner, Ward's Bakery Collapse: The Photos
Tracy Collins, who's become one of our favorite documenters of Brownstone Brooklyn and especially Atlantic Yards and the Prospect Heights environs, has uploaded a hundred or so photos from the aftermath of today's building collapse at Ward's Bakery in the Atlantic Yards footprint. Definitely worth a look-see.
Four photos posted, plus links to hundreds of others.
Curbed, BREAKING CurbedWire: Atlantic Yards Building Partial Collapse
We linked this post yesterday, but in case you're interested, it was updated several times during the day. Also, one commentator noticed a NYC-wide trend:
Funny how any building with any whiff of "landmark" seems to meet with some sort of accident. Golly gee I'm beginning to think it's all deliberate...
NY Press, Building Collapse At Atlantic Yards Demolition Site
NY Press blogger Kari Milchman has an boneheaded original take on the Ward Bakery collapse demolition:
This afternoon, a Brooklyn building under demolition at the Atlantic Yards site partially collapsed onto the sidewalk. No one was hurt. Wait, isn’t that the point of demolition? Workers were in the process of removing asbestos when part of the Ward’s Bakery building fell. The homeless shelter next door was evacuated for precautionary reasons, sending 300 people back onto the streets. Neighbors and politicians are now calling for an investigation into Forest City Ratner's safety practices. Of course they are.
NoLandGrab: We predict a bright future for Milchman here.
The Daily Pube, We've Been Linked
Sam linked back to NoLandGrab after we carried his pointed reference to Ratner and included a nifty version of the "Wall 'O Grievance" class picture:
Apparently someone liked my comments about the destruction of NYC's older buildings; specifically in reference to the closing of the Brooklyn Inn, and how I mentioned Forest City Ratner.
It's a pretty cool site that details the day to day of the Atlantic Yards Project.
The Knickerblogger, Liars for Hire
"Knickerblogger" comments on Norman Oder's analysis of yesterday's NY Post opinion piece:
I'll spare you the lies and nonsense, and just mention that Charney's "poll" did what Forest City tried to do all along - hide the truth from the public. Nowhere did it cover the huge public outlays or abuse of eminent domain, which curiously, Charney didn't think was an issue. How he could not when 85% of Americans are opposed to it is beyond ludicrous - it is lie.
Posted by lumi at 7:10 AM
Part Of Building Crumbles In Brooklyn
WNBC.com is reporting that the workers were removing asbestos from "inside" the building:
At the time, workers were removing asbestos from inside the structure.
Officials were assessing the structural stability of neighboring buildings after the collapse. As a precaution, 350 people were kept out of a nearby homeless shelter.
NoLandGrab: NY1 noted that workers were on the roof, as opposed to merely "removing asbestos from inside the structure."
Posted by lumi at 12:30 AM
Building At Atlantic Yards Site Partially Collapses
NY1
An FDNY official chalks the collapse up to rain...
"Parapet walls exposed on both side over many years, and we had heavy rains, so it very well could be a residual effect of the heavy rains that we had,” said FDNY Assistant Chief James Nichols.
...even though there were workers on the roof just before (whoopsie):
City officials say workers were removing asbestos on the roof of the building when approximately 200 feet of parapet wall fell onto the sidewalk. No one was hurt, but several parked cars were damaged.
An adjacent homeless shelter was evacuated as a precaution, leaving about 288 people, mostly women and children, homeless.
"No one is answering questions,” said one of the evacuated residents. “No one really knows anything, and we're sitting out here. My baby's cold and we want to go back inside."
...
Congresswoman (sic) Leticia (sic) James* is one of several local elected officials calling for a probe into the incident."I'm asking for an investigation with respect to this collapse, and I'm asking ESDC to halt – halt – all work until such time this investigation is completed."
Did Ratner really come up with this ridiculous PR strategy (uh, the building was broken when we bought it), or is it another Benderism?
In response to the incident, Forest City Ratner vice president Bruce Bender said:
“At the time of the purchase, (in March 2006) the building was already in a state of disrepair. We will of course work very closely with the Buildings Department and other agencies to determine the cause of the collapse and to ensure public safety."
* The video caption is correct — "L-E-T-I-T-I-A" James is a C-O-U-N-C-I-L woman.
Posted by lumi at 12:00 AM
April 26, 2007
Forest City Ratner: It's a Disaster!
Brit in Brookliyn
Ward Bakery update: Tonight groups of evacuated mums were out behind their strollers, which were draped in Red Cross blankets. A relief worker told me (around 6.30 pm) that shelter, clothing and food had been provided for them and everyone could now return home. Who'd have believed Ratner's plans would already be drawing upon disaster-relief resources? What else is in store?
Posted by lumi at 11:05 PM
In Ward Bakery incident, was a sidewalk shed required?
Atlantic Yards Report
Norman Oder sheds some light on the missing sidewalk shed:
The sidewalk shed outside the Ward Bakery has been gone for weeks, though one existed for years. When local residents protesting Forest City Ratner's demolition plan walked on Pacific Street Monday, they passed right by the bakery, which lacked such a shed. Had today's incident--200 feet of the parapet wall falling, according to the Times--occurred three days earlier, those walking by could have been very unlucky. (Photo taken Monday by Jonathan Barkey)
When Forest City Ratner applied for a demolition permit in early March, it was approved on the basis that a sidewalk shed was required. The permit (below) also said that a shed had been erected.
That shed apparently was the one that had existed for years, and was apparently removed at some point after March 3. On March 21, the developer filed for a permit to build a new shed. Apparently a shed is not required while workers do pre-demolition work, such as asbestos removal. Among the lingering questions: did the asbestos removal at the building morph into more significant work that affected the building's structural integrity? If this could be blamed on weather and deterioration, should the developer have taken more precautions?
Posted by lumi at 5:43 PM
800 Pacific St. Pre-Demolition Report
According to this Pre-Demolition Report (click image to enlarge), a sidewalk shed was required. The report indicates that it was erected, though there was no shed at the site today when the cornice collapsed.
In addition, there is no indication of unsafe conditions at the property on this report.
Posted by lumi at 5:31 PM
More DEMO GRAPHICS Ratner-style
Photographers Adrian Kinloch ("www.britinbrooklyn.com") and Tracy Collins (aka "Threecee") were at the scene and posted photos to their sites.
From BritinBrooklyn:
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"The building may have to be demolished quickly as it's now in dangerous state, which will help get Ratner's plan moving along." |
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"Sadly local residents in Dean Street had to be evacuated and spend the day next to some of Ratner's earlier work." |
From ThreeCee's Flickr Ward Bread Bakery Building photos:
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Posted by lumi at 5:10 PM
ESDC statement on Ward Bakery
Atlantic Yards Report has posted the Empire State Development Corporation's statement concerning the Ward Bakery collapse, along with an observation:
“When the Empire State Development Corporation learned about the incident, the agency sent representatives to the scene to assess the situation. Safety is our utmost concern and we’re very thankful no one was injured. Our team is conferring with the developer, the City, and various government agencies to find out exactly what happened and to help coordinate a thorough response. We’re also awaiting the outcome of an investigation by the city’s Department of Buildings so we can take any necessary action.”
Note that a "thorough response" does not, as of yet, go as far as the request by Council Member Letitia James that work on the site should be halted immediately.
NoLandGrab: Apparently the ESDC is still "listening" and "taking a hard look."
Posted by lumi at 5:01 PM
Jeffries calls for investigation; James calls for stopping all work
Atlantic Yards Report
The partial collapses of the Ward Bakery has led to evacuation of the neighboring homeless shelter and significant concern around the Pacific Street site. Investigations are ongoing, and elected officials are speaking up.
The lead is followed by NYC City Councilmember Letitia James's and NYS Assemblymember Hakeem Jeffries' statements.
Posted by lumi at 4:58 PM
DDDB PRESS RELEASE: Ward Bakery Building Partially Collapses
While Ratner Contractors Work on Building
Department of Buildings and Empire State Development Corporation Should Halt All Demolition Activity on Atlantic Yards Site Until Full Investigation and Proper Monitoring Body is in Place
BROOKLYN, NY— Fortunately nobody was hurt today when the entire northern parapet of the Ward Bakery Building collapsed onto the street, sidewalk and parked cars below. Developer Forest City Ratner (FCR) is allegedly undertaking asbestos abatement on the building preliminary to a scheduled June demolition of the building for its “Atlantic Yards” project. The building would be demolished to create “interim surface parking” for an indefinite period of time. The 97-year old building was denied landmark status by the City Landmarks Commission but has stood stable over nearly one century. In fact, in March, the developer removed protective sidewalk sheds from the perimeter of the building where the collapse occurred.
The city’s Building Enforcement Safety Team, or BEST Squad, which inspects buildings prior to allowing demolition, found no unsafe issues or hazardous conditions in the Ward Bakery during their pre-demolition inspection.
“The Ward Bakery Building has stood solidly in our community for nearly one century without any problem. It certainly raises many questions that now that the developer has entered the building all of a sudden an entire parapet collapses. We are calling on the city’s Department of Buildings and the Bloomberg Administration to halt all of Forest City Ratner’s scheduled demolitions until the Ward Bakery collapse is fully investigated," said Develop Don’t Destroy spokesman Daniel Goldstein. "Also, the Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC) — the public state corporation overseeing the Ratner project — must insist that Forest City Ratner stop all demolition on the project site until this collapse is fully investigated and the building stabilized, and until the public can be assured that there is a proper and responsive state-run site-monitoring body in place.”
Residents and community organizations around the project site have been calling for proper ESDC oversight of activity on the project site for many months, with no positive result from the state agency.
A long-term homeless shelter housing 94 families and 350 residents, adjacent to the Ward Bakery Building, was evacuated by the New York City Fire Department, and it is unclear when the residents will be allowed to return to the facility. The Red Cross was due out to the site to give assistance to the families waiting on Dean Street after they were evacuated.
“We simply don’t believe that the building was unstable, that is, until Ratner’s contractors went in; in fact, Ratner apparently studied the structural integrity of its holdings in the footprint just a year ago, and concededly found no basis for concern with regard to the Ward Bakery. Had they thought the building was unstable, you have to believe that Ratner would have taken at least the precautionary measure of placing protective sidewalk sheds along the building in order to safeguard the community,” Goldstein said. “We are very fortunate nobody was hurt by the heavy falling debris that cascaded down five stories to the sidewalk and street below. There should be no ‘next time,’ and the ESDC has got to ensure that.”
At least fifteen demolitions are scheduled to take place between now and the end of June. Although approximately 50 buildings would need to be demolished to make way for construction of the project, currently many of those buildings are owned or occupied by private individuals or entities. Thirteen of those owners and regulated renters are currently in federal court alleging that the use of eminent domain for “Atlantic Yards” violates the United States Constitution. If they win their suit, they will retain the right to their properties and leases, their properties will not be demolished, and “Atlantic Yards" cannot be built.
Posted by lumi at 4:54 PM
Statement from City Councilmember Letitia James on Ward Bakery Collapse
Work in "Atlantic Yards" Site Should Be Halted Immediately
I am relieved no one was hurt in the partial "collapse" of part of the historic Ward's Bakery building this morning. I have been asking for an oversight structure of construction work at the site for sometime now. There is still no formal structure, other than the developer's own "Community Liaison Office," from which the public can get information.
It is tragic that 350 residents, consisting of 94 families, have been displaced because of this morning's occurrence.
I find it ironic that for 80 years Wards Bakery stood without incident and that this collapse would happen at this time. It is further ironic that some of these displaced have filed lawsuits affecting the approval of the Atlantic Yards Project. It is also important to note that this is one of several incidents that have occurred in the footprint of the project.
In light of what happened at 800 Pacific Street this morning, and other incidents, I have asked Empire State Development Corporation, who is acting as the lead agency in this project, to halt all work at the "Atlantic Yards" site until this morning's occurrence can be fully investigated, and until there is a monitoring body to oversee all proposed demolition and construction at the site.
This is still a neighborhood filled with residents and businesses. The current situation is hazardous to the health and safety of my constituents, and these demolitions, accidental and intentional, are entirely premature in the process.
Posted by lumi at 1:23 PM
Statement from Assemblyman Jeffries on Collapse of Ward Bakery
Complete Investigation Demanded
“The partial collapse of the Ward Bakery has caused great concern in the community. I am thankful that no one was injured, as this accident could have had tragic consequences. The Fire Department must conduct a thorough investigation of the cause of this collapse and I expect the developer to fully participate. This incident further highlights the need to proceed with extreme caution as the developer moves forward the Atlantic Yards project.”
Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Assemblyman Jeffries (D-Brooklyn) represents Prospect Heights (the area where the incident occurred), Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, parts of Crown Heights and Bedford-Stuyvesant
NoLandGrab: What are the chances that Jeffries is going to be called into the Atlantic Yards Community Liaison Office to get chewed out by the Community Benefits Agreement Executive Committee for not going to them first before issuing a statement?
Posted by lumi at 1:11 PM
Ward's Bakery Parapet Collapses As Demo Starts
Overheard in Brownstoner, Eyewitness Commentary from "NeoGrec":
I witnessed the aftermath -- thank goodness no one was walking past the building when this happened. They would surely be a goner. The chunks of masonry were huge. All the residents of the adjacent homeless shelter were evacuated. Women with babies in arms and many young children could be seen standing around on Dean St. I hope the city will find somewhere for those families to go. Especially since there have already been complaints by residents of Dean St that the asbetos abatement going on at the Ward Bakery is being done in a very sloppy way. Not a great enviroment for young kids. Meanwhile, Forest City Ratner will no doubt get over their embarrassment pretty quickly. This could help them in the eminent domain lawsuit since their defense is based on proving that the buildings are "blighted". Yeh, looks they did a great job of blighting this one! Also overheard someone say it was very unusual for such a long stretch of cornice to collapse like that. "Usually they fall off in smaller chunks" was his comment. Hmmm.
Posted by lumi at 12:37 PM
Daily Collapse
"Roadway Collapse" yesterday, "Building Collapse" today...
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...shame on you Bruce Ratner.
Also, we'd like to send shout outs to Atlantic Yards Development Group President James P. Stuckey, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Governor Eliot Spitzer, the entire cast of "The Atlantic Yards Community Liaison Office" (currently running on 6th Ave), Community Benefits Agreement Environmental Compliance Czar Delia Hunley-Adossa, and "Joey From Cobble Hill" DePlasco, whom we expect to hear from shortly.
Posted by lumi at 12:00 PM
BREAKING CurbedWire: Atlantic Yards Building Partial Collapse
Curbed.com
PROSPECT HEIGHTS--Just into our inbox a photo of some significant loss of parts of Ward's Bakery at 800 Pacific Street in the Atlantic Yards footprint. The tipster who sent the image writes about:
A partial collapse not 20 minutes ago...Seems the parapet which was at the top of the building (duh) fell off following the start of demolition work on the building and heavy rains. No less than 11 firetrucks, 50 firemen, 3 FDNY emergency response vehicles and they just set up a cute little whiteboard to figure out their plan of cleanup. Nobody was walking underneath and as the building is slated for demolition it was empty so no injuries. Several cars were damaged.
Posted by lumi at 11:53 AM
Breaking News from WABC Eyewitness News
From Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn (dddb.net):
We ask: Where is the government oversight, ESDC?
Can the neighborhood look forward to this quality of work from Forest City Ratner for the next 20 - 40 years? Can the neighborhood survive this quality of work by Ratner and his contractors, and this complete lack of governement oversight? The community has been asking the ESDC for months for serious monitoring of Ratner actions/demolitions on the Atlantic Yards project site. The main response has been foot-dragging and future promises. Well the future is here.
Posted by lumi at 11:47 AM
Section of building under demolition crashes onto street
WABC, Eyewitness News
The parapet of a vacant building under demolition as part of the Atlantic Yards project collapsed onto the street in the Prospect Heights section of Brooklyn Thursday morning.
Officials say the parapet on the former Ward Bread Bakery Complex came crashing onto the sidewalk and Pacific Street just after 9:45 a.m.
The parapet is the barrier at the edge of a structure employed to prevent persons or vehicles from falling over the edge.
No workers were reported injured, and there were no pedestrians struck, officials said.
Emergency services personnel are now in the process of evacuating nearly 100 apartments after a parapet fell.
Officials are worried about the stability of the building and the possibility of additional collapse, so they are evacuating the building next door at 800 Pacific Street. There are unconfirmed reports that perhaps 350 people could be displaced.
Pieces of the parapet littered the sidewalk and crashed onto some cars.
Posted by lumi at 11:24 AM
A BLUEPRINT GROWS IN B'KLYN
NY Post, Op-Ed
By Craig Charney
DEMOLITION began this week to clear ground for New York's biggest urban redevelopment project in decades, Atlantic Yards. That marked not just a crucial defeat for New York's militant anti-developers - the dreaded "NIMBY" (not in my backyard) lobby - but also the emergence of a possible blueprint for future victories.
The project will transform 22 Brooklyn acres that now hold only rail yards, low-rise apartments, condos, empty lots and abandoned buildings into the home of a professional sports arena (and the Nets), as well as high-rise residential housing and offices - 17 buildings in all, with 8.7 million square feet of space and a $4.2 billion price tag.
Charney mentions the "modest" scaledown of the project, but neglects to mention that Atlantic Yards would still be the densest residential community in the nation, by a long shot, or that it is the largest single-source private project in the nation.
NoLandGrab: Name calling and omissions of simple truths are generally what happens when smart people with big opinions fear facts.
LIPSKY ON CHARNEY
Speaking of which, here's Richard Lipsky's take:
As [Charney] goes on to point out, the FCRC was "willing to listen and make concessions-to a variety of interests that developers often ignore or outright oppose." And in addition, the developer brought in "some of New York's top political and marketing pros." The fact that FCRC brought us into this struggle, indicates the perceptiveness of people like Bruce Bender and Scott Cantone who understood that to develop grass roots support you need to have folks who understand the organizing that needs to be done at that level.
NoLandGrab: Lipsky is still kissing Bender's butt (more here, here, here, here) — maybe he's bucking for another big payday.
ODER ON CHARNEY
You didn't think that Atlantic Yards Report would let these guys have all the fun?
Charney's misleading analysis starts in the very first paragraph. First, demolition actually began in February; Charney's referring to demolitions challenged in court and last week permitted to proceed.
Second, the opponents are not NIMBYs--why would they be organizing the UNITY 2007 charette this weekend?--but critics of this specific plan, which would be more dense than the nation's densest census tract and is so radioactive that the city won't cite it as a blueprint in the just-released PlaNYC 2030 document.
Charney, in the second paragraph, makes another error, saying Atlantic Yards would have 8.7 million square feet of space (actually 8 million) and cost $4.2 billion (actually $4 billion.) He says that developer Forest City Ratner "did have to scale the project down modestly to get the go-ahead," but that, of course, is untrue: the size of the project, in square footage, would be just about the same as announced.
Posted by lumi at 11:03 AM
The Atlantic Yards - Part Two
Nathan Kensinger posted more amazing photos from his below-ground tour of the footprint of the Atlantic Yards.
Click here for Part I, where Kensinger defends his use of the term "The Atlantic Yards."
As for the text, I think it is appropriate to continue using the name "Atlantic Yards" here, if only to help clarify that these photographs are from a potential construction site and not just a rail yard.
NoLandGrab: The only problem with the looser lexicon is that most New Yorkers don't know the difference, and the Ratner brand name, "The Atlantic Yards," takes on a life of its own as in yesterday's Gothamist post referencing Kensinger's latest crop of photos:
Nathan Kensinger found his way into the tunnels underneath Brooklyn's Atlantic Yards...
Posted by lumi at 10:32 AM
Blight Me: Is "Developer Blight" a New Brooklyn Tactic?
Gowanus Lounge
The other day, protesters were out on Flatbush Avenue to speak out against the "premature demolition" of buildings in the Atlantic Yards footprint by Forest City Ratner. On Sunday, we gazed at the big lot at Bedford Avenue and N. 3rd Street in Williamsburg that is half empty and has had a half-demolished building for almost a year. On Saturday, we were wandering around Coney Island, shooting photos of a huge fence erected by Thor Equities.
...
It's not hard to imagine that one of these orgies of premature demolition won't leave beind a wasteland....
GL mentions Edgemere as a point of reference.
Posted by lumi at 10:05 AM
Judge Won't Stop Demolitions Before Hearing; Protest Argues Action Remains Premature
Brooklyn Downtown Star
Norman Oder recaps the week's events: denial of a "temporary restraining order," the Demolition Demonstration, the construction schedule and deadlines and why neighbors are fighting against demolition of Ratner-owned properties.
Posted by lumi at 9:59 AM
DEMO GRAPHICS: Pacific, Flatbush and Fifth Ave. "Road Collapse"
Photos by Phil R. Coffers
Sidewalk sheds on Flatbush Avenue were installed on Tuesday. |
A sidewalk shed was being erected yesterday on Pacific Street. |
 This is being billed as a "road collapse" by the on-site workers. Who collapsed what and why? |
Posted by lumi at 9:14 AM
It came from the "Bloggiest Community in the Nation"
Ironically, we wouldn't be the nation's "bloggiest community" if the mainstream media (MSM) actually covered the Atlantic Yards project the way it should.
Meanwhile, the MSM is wringing their hands over how to compete with the blogosphere. Go figure...
NY Press Blog, Is The Blogosphere Representin' Your Neighborhood?
It seems the proposed $4 billion Atlantic Yards project has bloggers all in a tizzy, according to outside.in's chief product officer, John Geraci.
Brownstoner Forum, How close is too close to AY?
Yesterday, a prospective buyer was asking about Third Ave. and Atlantic Yards. Today, it's North Slope.
Dope on the Slope, Bloggie Went A-Postin'
Brooklyn's own Hillbilly-in-Residence has new lyrics for the American classic:
Bloggie went a-postin’, and he did write, Uh-huh,
Bloggie went a-postin’, and he did write, Uh-huh,
Bloggie went a-postin’, and he did write.
With a mouse and a keyboard by his side, Uh-huh, Uh-huh, Uh-huh.Well he wrote about the wrecking ball, Uh-huh,
Well he wrote about the wrecking ball, Uh-huh,
Well he wrote about the wrecking ball,
Eminent domain and suburban sprawl Uh-huh, Uh-huh, Uh-huh.
Yes, there's more, much more.
Curbed, A Look at the Atlantic Yards Unterwelt
So, photographer and photoblogger Nate Kensinger (AKA Gowanus), who has previously shown the inside of a number of Brooklyn industrial landmarks and projects, is posting pics from what might literally be called the underbelly of Atlantic Yards, the tunnels above which the megadevelopment may rise.
Sports and Games from Ambler, LOOK WHO'S BRANCHING OUT
I usually pull for the Nets too, and I'll continue to do so, as long as Bruce Ratner stays the fuck out of my hood.
Posted by lumi at 8:32 AM
Breaking ground at Atlantic Yards?
The Justus Files
Yes, someone "broke the ground" on Fifth Avenue, only they're keeping mum on who or what did it.
The story that workers are stuck with is that the hole was caused by a "roadway collapse."
The question is, did Ratner workers collapse the roadway, or is that just an excuse to get premature work done in advance of the official roadway closing and demapping, scheduled for May 27?
UPDATE:
A source says that the DOT is fingering DEP subcontractors for "underming the street."
Posted by lumi at 8:09 AM
THE WAKE WAS HELD AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN
NY Press
This week's NY Press sports talk column by C.J. Sullivan and Dave Hollander has this lament about NY basketball:
HOLLANDER: And now he should be booted out. Too late. [NY Knick's owner] James M. Dolan’s absurdly premature awarding [Head Coach] Isiah [Thomas] a four-year contract extension guarantees that Madison Square Garden will remain a pro basketball wasteland for an entire generation. The only person happier than Isiah about Isiah staying in New York is Bruce Ratner. The Brooklyn Nets will soon be the only NBA team of consequence in our city. Too bad so many in Brooklyn don’t want them there. The whole thing makes me ill.
NoLandGrab: Hope Hollander doesn't mind the trip to Jersey while the Nets stay put for as long as it takes.
Posted by lumi at 7:54 AM
Scamming redevelopment
With little oversight, local redevelopment agencies seize private property and spend tax dollars to subsidize developers.
LA Times, Op-Ed
By Doug Kaplan
Everyone does it!
IN CALIFORNIA last year, redevelopment agencies spent more than $5 billion. They consumed almost $3 billion in property taxes. They forced people from their homes and businesses. And what vital service did they provide? They built shopping centers.
And here's the developers' dirty little secret:
Developers don't demand subsidies because they need them; they demand subsidies because they are there for the taking.
What if I'm wrong? Then redevelopment officials should still ask themselves — or better yet, they should ask the voters — how the public expects its tax dollars to be spent. Does it want more fabulous shopping centers and ever grander avenues? Or, for example, would it prefer better neighborhood schools?
Redevelopment is unwise, unjust and unnecessary and should be repealed before billions more dollars are wasted on public subsidies for private developers who — trust me — don't need the money.
He ought to know:
DOUG KAPLAN is a Northern California developer and former school board trustee. He lives in Aptos.
Posted by lumi at 7:33 AM
April 25, 2007
'Either-Or' Apartment Projects
Reality Times
By Lew Sichelman
It doesn't rank as "doing a Ratner," but this article has another member of the Ratner family speaking frankly about market forces:
"We're not smart enough to figure out what the market will be next year, let alone four years from now," said Ronald Ratner, who heads Forest City's residential division, which builds mainly urban properties with as many as 6,000 units.
The article explains how developers are waiting before declaring whether or not the units they are building will be condos or apartments:
With the glut of unsold condominiums on the market, and the extended period it takes to win approvals and develop multi-family projects, more and more builders are waiting until the last possible moment to declare their properties a rental or a condo.
In most places, it's legal to go through the approval process without informing the zoning board which way the property will turn out.
NoLandGrab: In Brooklyn, Bruce Ratner has hedged his bets with Atlantic Yards by submitting two versions of the master plan. In the "Commercial Mixed-Use Variation" more than one-million square feet of residential space would be office space instead.
Posted by lumi at 11:30 PM
Brooklyn Tech Won’t Move, Dept. of Ed Assures Alumni
Forest City Ratner Backtracks On Proposal for New Building
Today, The Brooklyn Daily Eagle gets the scoop on Brooklyn Tech (link).
Before we get into it, here's some background:
THE "LAST-MINUTE" "COMPROMISE"
Devoted readers will remember that back in December, 2006 one item in the "last-minute compromise" between Forest City Ratner and the Public Authorities Control Board was this vague "concession" (see: Atlantic Yards Report, Last minute Ratner goodies: $3m for parks, help on a high school, more):
In addition to these project specific elements, FCRC will also work with the City, State and the United Federation of Teachers on the creation of a new 21st Century Brooklyn Tech High School, at a yet to be determined location in the borough.
NO ONE TOLD THE ALUMNI
This came as a shock to some alumni who were quoted in the Daily News
The news still rattled some alumni who questioned the move in light of the $10 million fund-raising goal the school reached last year.
"If the school was in decay, then fine, but it's not," said Melvin Band, Class of '59. "They took our money to build up that school, and now they're doing away with it. It's a disgrace."
TRIPLE BOONDOGGLE?
Then it looked like Bruce Ratner was angling for the Boondoggle of the Century, where he would get the magnificent Brooklyn Tech building to convert to condos and move Brooklyn Tech into "state of the art" facilities on his own MetroTech campus. That would mean a potential triple payday as (1) the developer of the condos, (2) the developer of the new school, (3) and the landlord.
This rumor was mentioned by the real estate columnist for the NY Sun, Michael Stoler in March (see, Downtown Brooklyn Is Booming:
Meanwhile, Polytechnic University is exploring a joint venture with Forest City Ratner Cos. on its campus in MetroTech, real estate sources said. The transaction would include the sale of about 800,000 square feet of available air rights for development. In addition, it is rumored that Forest City has plans to construct a residential condominium on the former site of Brooklyn Technical High School; the school would move to MetroTech.
DEAL OR NO DEAL
Today, The Brooklyn Daily Eagle reports that there is NO DEAL.
From the Eagle report by Mary Frost:
A published report last year saying that Forest City Ratner Companies (FCRC), as part of the Atlantic Center deal, would create “a new, 21st century Brooklyn Tech High School, at a yet-to-be-determined location,” set off an uproar that continued all the way to this weekend’s Brooklyn Tech Annual Homecoming Event.
...
The thought of moving Tech is “unconscionable,” says alumnus Melvin Band, who confronted Schools Chancellor Joel Klein at the January 22 Educational Panel meeting about the Daily News article. “Tech will get a much smaller school made with spit in a less safe neighborhood. On the other hand, you’ll get the goose that lays the golden eggs — Tech’s cash cow,” Band said he told the chancellor.
...
According to Band, the chancellor told him in February that the DOE had made no commitment whatsoever to any relocation for Tech, but Band questions this statement. “Bruce Ratner is not going to make false public statements that would impugn his credibility ...”On Thursday, Department of Education spokesperson Melody Meyers told the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, “No, we are not moving Brooklyn Tech. We are looking into the need for new schools as the Atlantic Yards project gets under way. Brooklyn Tech is the largest high school building in the country.” Forest City Ratner spokesman Joe DePlasco says that FCRC is leaving it up to the Department of Education.
“In December, when the PACB approved the [Atlantic Yards] project, we issued a statement that said, among other things, that FCRC would work with the city, the state and the UFT if they all agreed on the creation of a new Brooklyn Tech. So yes, that is something we would do, but the question on what to do should really be directed to them.”
NoLandGrab: This is the first thing that we've heard that makes sense. Why would the Department of Education make a deal that's a win-win exclusively for Bruce Ranter?
HOT AIR
Today Atlantic Yards Report's Norman Oder analyzes the article and connects the dots to the original announcement and the Daily News story.
Ratner's Brooklyn Tech plan was hot air; school won't move
Oder compares the December, 2006 statement to what Ratner's mouthpiece claimed last week:
The Eagle quoted Forest City Ratner spokesman Joe DePlasco: “In December, when the PACB approved the [Atlantic Yards] project, we issued a statement that said, among other things, that FCRC would work with the city, the state and the UFT if they all agreed on the creation of a new Brooklyn Tech. So yes, that is something we would do, but the question on what to do should really be directed to them.”
Actually, the FCR statement issued 12/20/06 was less conditional than as portrayed by DePlasco:
Mr. Ratner today also announced some additional programs to support the Atlantic Yards project....In addition to these project specific elements, FCRC will also work with the City, State and the United Federation of Teachers on the creation of a new 21st Century Brooklyn Tech High School, at a yet to be determined location in the borough.
The project was announced by FCR; the developer was not taking a back seat, as DePlasco suggests. But DePlasco is paid to spin.
What was this announcement all about then?
A prime mover in the phantom plan was the United Federation of Teachers, which put its political muscle into backing Atlantic Yards and perhaps was looking for a bigger payoff than simply a shot at affordable apartments for some of its members.
And what about the credibility of the mythomaniacal Bruce Ratner?
Alumnus Band told the Eagle that Klein in February disavowed any plan to move Tech; however, Band questioned that, saying, “Bruce Ratner is not going to make false public statements that would impugn his credibility."
Band apparently has not been following Atlantic Yards issues such as the $5.6 billion lie or the elastic project timeline.
NoLandGrab: How about a round of applause for Randi Weingarten who negotiated this "concession" in exchange for her political support for Atlantic Yards? Weingarten did nothing to address near-capacity conditions at local public schools and the impact of 15-18K new residents in the district.
Posted by lumi at 9:33 AM
It came from the Blogosphere...
Brownstoner, Gowanus / Atlantic
From time to time, a prospective home buyer solicits opinions about moving near the Atlantic Yards footprint. Today, it's on 3rd Ave.
We're considering making an offer on a sweet new-construction condo on 3rd Ave. near Pacific. What do y'all think of the property values there over the next few years? Wise decision? Will Gowanus boom? Or will the Atlantic Yards prove problematic?
The Daily Pube, Sickening
One blogger's lamentation casts Atlantic Yards as the posterchild for bulldozing the Lost City:
Today I found out my favorite neighborhood watering hole is also going the way of the Dodo. There is really nothing any of us can do. Just look at all the groups trying to stop Forest City Ratner from building the Atlantic Yards project.
Kristina sent me the link to a brilliant blog called The Lost City. This guy talks about all that is wrong with the direction in which New York City is going. Visit this site. Comment. Do your part to try to save NYC, or to at least make some noise about it.
Web Metrics Guru, America's Top 10