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September 4, 2007
Fumble in the Bronx
MetroNY
By Patrick Arden
Here's a cautionary tale about how promises to the community can fade after the deal is sealed and construction commences:
Bronx politicians liked to tout the community partnership agreement they hatched with the New York Yankees 17 months ago, especially when they had to respond to criticism over the team’s taking of public parkland for a new stadium.
Central to that deal was the promise of an annual $800,000 for Bronx nonprofits over the next 40 years. Critics labeled this a “slush fund,” because the money would be doled out by a new not-for-profit staffed by representatives of Bronx elected officials, and it didn’t have to be spent in the affected community. The funds were to start flowing, the agreement said, “upon the commencement of the construction.”
So imagine the surprise of Geoffrey Croft last week, when he discovered — one full year after the stadium’s groundbreaking — no such not-for-profit has been registered with the state yet, and no funds have been disbursed.
“The parks were taken in eight days without one public hearing,” complained Croft, president of NYC Park Advocates. “The Yankees wasted no time in seizing the public’s land, but they’re in no hurry when it’s time to pay up.
NoLandGrab: As in the case of the Atlantic Yards "Community Benefits Agreement," the politicians who cite the Bronx "community partnership" like to remind folks that it is "legally blinding binding."
Posted by lumi at September 4, 2007 6:55 AM