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June 24, 2009
Greetings from Scott Turner: The Lessness of Senses
via Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn
I'm amused these days thinking about a remark someone made at Rocky's a couple of months ago. Things weren't going well for Bruce Ratner. Community opposition, the crashing economy and Ratner's own incompetence had brought the Atlantic Yards project to a halt. Hadn't killed it, mind you, but halted it was.
Noticing my Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn badge, a gentleman said "C'mon, man, whattya want? The project's dead. You want his head on a pike, too?"
Only if it would end the madness that is the Atlantic Yards project. Once and for all. But Bruce Ratner, the zombie who doesn't know he's dead, just keeps coming and keeps coming, so selfish and self-absorbed is he. And that's why the project's not packing the moving van for Kaputsville.
As it stands, the MTA -- the same one always threatening to cut subway and bus routes, services, repairs and new capital projects -- is feeling so flush and happy that it's letting Bruce Ratner pay $20 million for a property the MTA had originally valued at $214 million.
For a property that another developer offered $150 million for when Ratner was offering only $50.
For a property that currently has ten tracks and Ratner's design will leave a growing system with only seven.
For a property that Ratner will be allowed to pay off during the next twenty-two years as fare hikes jump and services get cut, so warns the same MTA honchos bending over backwards to accommodate Bruce.
Posted by eric at June 24, 2009 10:57 AM