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May 19, 2009
SECOND IN COMMAND: THE TACTITIAN'S RUN
City Limits
By Jarrett Murphy
What's new... City Councilman and candidate for NYC Public Advocate Bill de Blasio is trying to walk a fine line with his position on Atlantic Yards:
The most high-profile project in Brooklyn, of course, is Atlantic Yards, which falls close to his district and which de Blasio backed from the beginning. Only last year—well after demolition had begun on the site—did de Blasio say he wanted a moratorium on tear-downs until it was clear that the developer, Forest City Ratner, would make good on its promises of affordable housing and jobs.
"I'm obviously not satisfied with how the process unfolded," de Blasio says. "I think there was an opportunity to take the initial vision which was in the community benefits agreement and involve the community and figure out a way to achieve what was in the [agreement] in a way that was acceptable. I really think that didn’t happen."
Foes of Atlantic Yards don’t think de Blasio's late-day skepticism is genuine. "He has supported Atlantic Yards uncritically for years and now, like nearly every other supporter, has modified his position by picking away at this thing or that thing or 'I support it if [blank],'" says Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn spokesman Daniel Goldstein.
NoLandGrab: Signatories of the Community Benefits Agreement are contractually obligated to support the project and most have received financial support from developer Bruce Ratner. By siding with these groups, Bill de Blasio has done nothing to represent ongoing concerns over the project.
What happened to de Blasio's lip service on demolitions? Ratner continued on, taking down almost every single building he could.
Posted by lumi at May 19, 2009 5:16 AM