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October 31, 2008
At ACORN, Who IS Paying Attention to Atlantic Yards?
Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn explains how, in accordance with a signed contract, ACORN is holding up its end of the bargain, while Forest City Ratner hasn't and can't:
In May, 2005 ACORN partnered with Ratner to build Atlantic Yards' 2,250 "affordable" housing units out of what is now a proposed total of 6,430 housing units. That partnership included the following contractual obligation between ACORN and Forest City Ratner:
As long as the Project will include the ACORN/Atlantic Yards 50/50 Program* as described in paragraph 1, ACORN agrees to take reasonable steps to publicly support the Project by, among other things, appearing with the Developer before the Public Parties, community organizations and the media as part of a coordinated effort to realize and advance the Project and the contemplated creation of affordable housing. (Emphasis added)
Three and a half years later ACORN is still fullfilling that contract to promote the project in the media (albeit not aggressively) despite what is plain for all to see: Forest City Ratner either has no intention or no ability (or both) to fulfill its commitment to that "50/50 affordable" housing program. Ratner doesn't have the money to do it, doesn't have the land to do it, and doesn't even bother to show a model of Phase 2 of the project plan which contemplated the large majority of the "affordable" units. He also has no contractual obligation with New York City or New York State to ever complete Phase 2. Our surmise is that the developer has no intention of fufilling his commitment to ACORN.
Read more about how ACORN chief organizer Bertha Lewis appears to be "unaware of the current status of the project."
Posted by lumi at October 31, 2008 6:04 AM