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May 18, 2009

How Brooklyn lost LeBron: Rabid development foes killed shot at getting superstar James

NY Daily News

A rabid editorialist laments the passing shot at getting LeBron James in Brooklyn, as if it were "the worst thing to happen to Brooklyn since the Dodgers left."

Brooklyn, you could have had a shot at such greatness because James will be a free agent in summer 2010. And the borough was poised to be in the running with a new Nets arena.
...
But plans for a sports and entertainment venue ran into rabid obstructionists who fought the arena and associated housing construction as though it would be the worst thing to happen to Brooklyn since the Dodgers left.

On Friday, the 23rd court in a row ruled in favor of developer Bruce Ratner, primary owner of the Nets. He vowed once more to get the project going. Great. The city needs the arena and the housing. But now the best case is that Ratner will get an arena open for the 2011 season. Long after James likely signs with another team.

So now, we can imagine James getting a brownstone in Bed-Stuy or Fort Greene. Imagine him tutoring kids at local schools. Imagine him doing for the once-lousy Nets what he's done for the once-lousy Cavs.

link

NoLandGrab: You can imagine many things, once you drink the Kool-Aid.

Contrary to what the editorial implies, Atlantic Yards Report points out that developer Bruce Ratner "is delaying the housing on his own," along with the fact that LBJ would have to take less money to sign with the Nets than he'd get from the Cavaliers, something the *Daily News" must've forgotten with all their frothing.

Posted by lumi at May 18, 2009 6:16 AM