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March 26, 2008
Brooklyn Tech pledge appears, with major caveat, in State Funding Agreement
Atlantic Yards Report
Remember Forest City Ratner's 12/20/06 pledge, upon the approval of Atlantic Yards by the Public Authorities Control Board, to build a new Brooklyn Tech High School?
...
Initially, the developer stated, "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."
That would have been a new Brooklyn Tech to replace the recently renovated Brooklyn Tech, much to the consternation of alumni who paid for the facility upgrade.
Given alumni concerns that Forest City Ratner wanted the Brooklyn Tech building, well located adjacent to Fort Greene Park, city school officials last April insisted that the building would remain a school, and Forest City Ratner spokesman Joe DePlasco backpedaled from any pledge.
Keep in mind that this pledge was hailed as a significant last-minute concession extracted from developer Forest City Ratner by United Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten, when the project was approved in December, 2006.
With the public release of the State Funding Agreement on Friday, March 21, 2008 (the agreement was executed on September 12, 2007), it appears that this major concession is worth the paper it's printed on.
The document states:
Developer shall agree to work with the City, State and the United Federation of Teachers on the creation of a brand new 21st Century Brooklyn Tech High School, to the extent the City and the Department of Education elect to build such a school.
(Emphasis added)
NoLandGrab: At this point, is anyone surprised? We're just amazed how long the State managed to keep this agreement under wraps.
Posted by lumi at March 26, 2008 5:02 AM