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June 2, 2009
Atlantic Yards Report Lightning Round
Waiting for June 24: both the MTA and ESDC will hold board meetings
Well, we already know that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority at its June 24 board meeting (9:30 am) plans to consider a revised payment plan for the Vanderbilt Yard.
I've since learned that the Empire State Development Corporation plans to hold its June board meeting at 10:30 am the same day.
There's no official word yet, but that would be the first time the board could officially adopt a revision of the Modified General Project Plan (GPP), setting the stage for a new hearing process.
Moment of cognitive dissonance: how "public" is AY?
A Rochester Assemblywoman cited Atlantic Yards as an example of a "public work" in promoting her bill calling for the payment of prevailing wages to construction workers employed by such projects.
It's an interesting example. Sure, there's an argument that, if public subsidies are used, they should go to prevailing wage jobs, especially on a large project.
At the same time, if we're going to call Atlantic Yards a "public work," shouldn't the public, for example, have a little more input on the configuration of affordable housing, rather than let Forest City Ratner and its partner ACORN (in hock to the developer) make the call? And shouldn't there be a little more public oversight?
Senate hearing condensed for Twitter: double standard obvious
OK, first I published some 10,000 words on Friday's Senate hearing on Atlantic Yards, then distilled it earlier into a medium-lengh Cliff's Notes.
Here's a version almost short enough for Twitter:
Why do the state and city proclaim public benefits based on old fiscal data, but renegotiate with Forest City Ratner based on changing economic conditions?
NoLandGrab: Why, indeed?
Posted by eric at June 2, 2009 8:33 AM