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May 5, 2008

Bruce Ratner Claims Atlantic Yards Will Go On

Gothamist
By Dave Hogarty

He may have been gloomy about the mega-project's prospects last month, but now [Atlantic Yards developer Bruce] Ratner has an opinion piece in today's Daily News, pledging to forge ahead with his eminent domain plans to take over Atlantic Ave.
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Given that Ratner has been trying to reassure investors that his plan to build up the intersection of Atlantic and Flatbush, opponents could see this as essentially an advertorial.

article

MORE COVERAGE OF THE RATNER OP-ED:
WNYC Newsroom, Ratner Moving Ahead With Atlantic Yards Development

WNYC reiterated Bruce Ratner's spin:

[Ratner] says he aims to break ground on the arena this year.

In a guest column in today's Daily News, Ratner writes that he'll complete the entire $4 billion project by 2018. The Nets initially hoped to move into the arena for the 2009-2010 season. The team now expects that to happen sometime in 2010.

NoLandGrab: Though the goal of the Nets playing in Brooklyn in 2010 is dubious, that doesn't stop Bruce Ratner from saying so and the media from repeating it, despite Ratner's poor track record for straight talk.

NY1, Ratner Says Atlantic Yards Project Is On Track Despite Delays [dialup/broadband]

In an op-ed piece in Sunday's Daily News, Ratner dismisses rumors that the struggling economy and numerous court challenges have virtually halted the project.
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Ratner blames the delays on the lengthy public review process, the high number of court challenges and the slowing economy.

But he says he plans to start construction on the arena later this year, followed soon after by residential buildings and then the so-called "Miss Brooklyn" tower.

He says the entire project is on track to be completed by 2018.

NoLandGrab: The length of the public review process was mandated by NY State, when it took over the project and superceded all local land-use review processes and zoning. Ratner may have already forgotten that it took longer for the MTA board to get around to approving Ratner's low-ball bid because the state authority was bogged down with the West Side Stadium-Hudson Yards controversy.

Posted by lumi at May 5, 2008 5:13 AM