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May 22, 2009
Support wanes for Atlantic Yards? Maybe, but not at the PACB, most likely
Atlantic Yards Report
Today's Crain's Insider, under the headline Support wanes for Atlantic Yards, notes:
Political support for the Atlantic Yards project in Brooklyn was nearly unanimous when it was proposed in 2003 and for years afterward. That’s no longer the case—despite a string of court decisions favoring the developer, Forest City Ratner, and its partner in state government, the Empire State Development Corp.In the past two years, local officials including Councilman David Yassky and Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries have done little cheerleading for Atlantic Yards and have periodically been critical. Project booster Roger Green quit the Assembly in 2006, leaving Borough President Marty Markowitz as the only unflagging supporter among local officials. Not one of more than a dozen candidates in two City Council districts near the project openly supports it, according to opposition group Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn.
OK, but at the same time very few in the local political establishment line up behind DDDB, either. John Heyer, who works for Markowitz, does support an arena. And Jeffries certainly would like to see housing at the site.
Keep in mind that the two leading fundraisers in the 33rd District, Jo Anne Simon and Steve Levin, both steer clear of DDDB's opposition, as noted by Noticing New York. The leading fundraiser in the 39th, Brad Lander, seems closer to mend-it-don't-end-it BrooklynSpeaks on his web site but has expressed greater opposition in public, while Josh Skaller, second in fundraising, is an unequivocal opponent of the project.
Posted by eric at May 22, 2009 10:12 AM