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February 7, 2009

Forest City nixes community input

YourNabe.com
Stephen Witt

Developer Forest City Ratner Companies has nixed several interim ideas that a community organization has suggested before the Atlantic Yards project gets underway.

In a letter sent to Assemblymember James Brennan, the company responded to several interim measures for the 22-acre arena/housing/commercial project that the organization BrooklynSpeaks suggested in a letter to Gov. David Paterson.

The recommendations include returning the Carlton Avenue Bridge to service, creating interim public space in sites already demolished, and utilizing vacated buildings the company owns for community use or affordable housing until construction starts on those sites.

“The demolition and reconstruction of the Carlton Avenue Bridge is being coordinated with the construction of the new LIRR yard,” wrote FCRC Executive Vice President Maryanne Gilmartin. “Re-opening it is not practical or feasible, given the coordination issues, expense, and the fact that it will be put out of service again as soon as construction starts, which we expect to occur in mid-2009.”

It seems a tad odd that "a letter to Gov. David Paterson" was answered by Forest City Ratner. Oh, and whoopsie about that "shovel-ready" comment:

Separately, ESDC Communications director Warner Johnston backtracked on the agency’s comments made last week to this paper that the project would not be eligible for federal stimulus money because it wasn’t “shovel ready.”

“I am afraid that my office put out some inaccurate information regarding Atlantic Yards and whether it was shovel-ready. I take full responsibility and apologize,” Johnston wrote in an email.

“As we have stated in the past, the temporary suspension of work at Atlantic Yards is due to pending litigation. Once it has been resolved, work will continue. Stating that this site is not “shovel-ready” was inaccurate,” he added.

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Posted by amy at February 7, 2009 12:13 PM