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February 8, 2008
UPDATE: Ratnerville in Yonkers
There's a lot going on this week with Bruce Ratner's controversial, highly unusual, business-as-usual Ridge Hill plan in Yonkers.
FRESH SUBPOENAS
The Journal News, Yonkers Council members served with federal subpoenas
The Feds just issued fresh subpoenas in the probe of the Yonkers City Council's actions in approving Forest City Ratner's Ridge Hill mixed-use lifestyle center (aka, mall with housing).
Three Yonkers City Council members say they have received subpoenas demanding records from the Ridge Hill development project and ordering them to testify before a federal grand jury in White Plains.
...
The subpoenas are believed to be the second round issued by investigators looking into the $630 million Ridge Hill development on the city’s East Side. Federal investigators early last year issued subpoenas seeking documents including agendas, meeting tapes and voting records dating back to the beginning of 2004.At the time, a source familiar with the investigation said the probe dealt with the council’s handling of Ridge Hill.
APPEALS COURT UPHOLDS DECISION THAT COUNCIL ACTED ILLEGALLY
Regular readers may recall that, earlier this week, a NY State appeals court upheld a decision that the Yonkers City Council acted illegally when it circumvented its own procedures and initially approved Ratner's Ridge Hill megaproject in 2006.
Coverage:
The Journal News, Court slaps Yonkers Council effort to bypass County opposition to Ridge Hill
Yonkers Tribune, Appeals Court Rules for Citizens' Coalition Finding Yonkers City Council Had Broken the Law
MO' MONEY FOR KING OF SUBSIDIES
It has also surfaced that Forest City Ratner received $620,547.31 in the way of tax credits from the State of NY, for the creation of THREE(!) full-time jobs.
[Source: Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, FC Yonkers]
NoLandGrab: It's very hard to imagine that a $600,000+ tax credit for three jobs is in keeping with the purpose of NY State's Empire Zone program.
Posted by lumi at February 8, 2008 4:34 AM