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May 27, 2009
FCR was evasive on open space, Olin's role, bridge openings, plausible timetable, so the state should be answering these questions
Atlantic Yards Report
Let's look back at some not-so-transparent responses from Forest City Ratner to community concerns, and consider that the Empire State Development Corporation, not the developer, should be answering such questions.
The list includes:
- How about a "current expected and worst-case construction timelines," as has been released in the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan?
- Is litigation holding up construction as development company Forest City Ranter (FCR) claims, or can the company start construction on property it has already acquired, as asserted in court documents?
- Is FCR's contention "that construction of Phase 1 will be complete or underway at the time of the Arena opening" even "plausible?"
- Will FCR really create temporary open space "in the event that a development site on the Arena Block is not in construction or needed for other project purposes by the time the Arena is completed?"
- Is landscape designer Laurie Olin on sabbatical, as FCR contends, or is he off the project as public statements suggest?
- Who is in charge of making sure that the Carlton Avenue bridge is reopened?
- Will the State heed the community's call for more public outreach concerning construction-related environmental impacts?
- So what about FCR's promise of "3,000 new, permanent jobs" to be created by Phase 1 of the project? How did they get these mind-blowing numbers and how has this number changed as the project has changed?
Posted by lumi at May 27, 2009 4:52 AM