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December 3, 2008
Brooklyn at Eye Level: Economic Apartheid
Here's another interview excerpt from The Civilians' Brooklyn at Eye Level blog:
“I really felt it was a blatant misuse of eminent domain [proposed Atlantic Yards development]. I was hoping that the best thing would be to tear down Atlantic Center and put the arena there. . . . .there were 2 other better sites . . . including Atlantic Center, which is just a horrendous situation. Up until a few years ago, everything that went in there went out of business. It is basically subsidized by the state, they have a variety of state offices there…That’s how Ratner gets his income base. It’s not…Have you been there? It’s not a pleasant place to shop. I think I’ve only been there once. It really hurt Fulton St., the mall. Which used to have a Macy’s, a Martins, etc. . . . Here, [proposed Atlantic Yards footprint] Ratner owned a couple of parcels but he didn’t own everything. He needed eminent domain and the powers of the state…And I’m a great believer in eminent domain for a public purpose. It’s a dangerous route to take; a public purpose is NOT what gets a greater economic benefit in a place, that replaces a low-income or manufacturing or low tax-generating facility site, with a higher use. Or a low-income family with a middle-income family, then it becomes very difficult. Because you’re making an economic judgment and using an economic measure to guide policy. . . That’s economic apartheid. And that’s what we’re beginning to see. Even though it isn’t around racial segregation of people, it’s around the economic segregation of uses. It becomes very dangerous.” - A Student of Jane Jacobs
Posted by eric at December 3, 2008 5:53 PM