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August 16, 2007
Oversight? BrooklynSpeaks Doesn't See Any
Brooklyn Downtown Star
If the State and developer Bruce Ratner overlook oversight, what's a "mend it don't end it" coalition to do?
An odd thing about Atlantic Yards, according to a growing number of critics, is that there's no governance structure for the Prospect Heights project, which could take at least ten and possibly 20 years to build. After all, developments like Battery Park City and Riverside South, Brooklyn Bridge Park and Queens West, have been managed by governmental subsidiaries that incorporate local input.
"Is this something radical?" asked Gib Veconi of the Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council at a press conference last week. "The answer to that question is no. In, fact, what's unusual is that Atlantic Yards does not have this structure. Is it too late? This project will likely be redesigned several times."
The press conference was sponsored by the BrooklynSpeaks coalition, which has taken a "mend it don't end it" posture toward Atlantic Yards, and gained the support of several elected officials representing areas around the project footprint. They believe that the project, slated to include a basketball arena and 16 towers over 22 acres, should have a new Planning and Oversight entity, incorporating government agency representatives and local elected officials to oversee implementation of the project, including future changes. They also recommend a Stakeholder Council involving local groups, both supporters and opponents, to play an advisory role.
Posted by lumi at August 16, 2007 8:54 AM