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January 25, 2008
Not a waste of time
The Brooklyn Paper
Last Friday, during a court hearing to discuss scheduling the Yards opponents’ appeal of their recent loss in state Supreme Court, a lawyer for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority apparently asked that the appeal be expedited because the long legal battle over the project is having “a chilling affect” on Ratner’s ability to get financing.
The lawyer, Steve Kass, later denied to a Brooklyn Paper reporter that he had made the comment, but two lawyers who were in the hearing confirmed that Kass had specifically cited Ratner’s financing woes as the reason for the request for an expedited appeals process.
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We certainly share Kass’s sentiment that the legal battle over Atlantic Yards should be waged with all deliberate speed — but any delay at this stage is the fault of state officials, who circumvented normal planning review processes during their rush to approve Ratner’s mini-city before his old law shcool chum, Gov. Pataki, left office last year.
NoLandGrab: If Ratner IS having trouble financing his mega-deal, he'll surely lay blame at the feet of project critics, even though there is a global credit freeze and a glut of luxury housing on the market in Brooklyn.
It's nice to use the lawsuits as a scapegoat, but the truth is that Ratner created his own difficulties by proposing a plan that defies market conditions and the true needs of Brooklyn.
Posted by lumi at January 25, 2008 4:53 AM