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November 25, 2009
It came from the Blogosphere...
Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn, Governor Paterson's Own New London
Governor Paterson's Brooklyn legacy, should he allow eminent domain for Atlantic Yards to go forward...
The Sports ITeam Blog (NY Daily News), Atlantic Yards activist Scott Turner: 'Cross Michael Ratner off the list of good guys'
In the wake of yesterday’s ruling by the New York Court of Appeals that gives Nets owner Bruce Ratner the green light to seize private homes and businesses for his Atlantic Yards project, activist Scott Turner raises some good questions about how the proposed mega-development has blurred political preconceptions.
Ratner’s brother Michael Ratner, the president of the Center for Constitutional Rights, has been cheered for years by many progressives for his work for human rights and civil liberties. But he has also been named as a Forest City Ratner officer in project documents and he refuses to publicly discuss why he supports the project and why the rights of Brooklyn homeowners and business owners should take a back seat to his family’s plans. Many Brooklyn residents who once viewed Michael Ratner as a hero now look at him as just another limousine liberal.
College Sports View, The View from the Cheap Seats
Nets Basketball Fans Don’t Grow In Brooklyn
So, now Nets’ owner Bruce Ratner wins his eminent domain battle to evict homeowners and build his Atlantic Yards empire in Brooklyn. Got news for you, Brucie. Brooklynites aren’t dummies and won’t soon be drawn to that mess you call a basketball team. If you build it, they won’t come unless you can play.
MultiFamilyInvestor, Atlantic Yards One Step Closer To Compromised Development
Ratner’s optimism does not entirely reflect the realities on the ground: He and Goldman Sachs must complete a bond sale by December 31 to qualify for tax-free financing. tax-free bonds to be approved as part of a complex financing agreement meant to skirt federal laws intended to bar many stadiums and arenas from using tax-free debt.
Otherwise Forest City Ratner would have to resort to conventional financing, which could be prohibitively expensive.
Runnin' Scared, Helsinki "World Design Capital" for 2012; New York Lags Badly
The International Council of Societies of Industrial Design has announced at their World Design Congress that Helsinki is the "World Design Capital" for 2012. Fast Company has a nice photo series of design highlights from the Finnish capital, and they are dazzling.
Eindhoven was the runner-up. There is no mention of New York, which figures. The designation, according to ICSID, is "appointed to cities based on their accomplishments and commitment to design as an effective tool for social, cultural and economic development." Imagine someone walking into their competition with a rendering of the proposed Atlantic Yards, or Marty Markowitz's "Potato Chip" amphitheater design for Asser Levy Park. About the best we can say for ourselves is that our fast food joints are getting slicker.
It's sad to be reminded of it, but people used to look at us in awe. Now New York just gets butt-uglier by the minute.
Battle of Brooklyn via Kickstarter, The story in a nutshell
New York Daily News nailed it with their piece on Dan, Shabnam and Sita.
Please consider sending this story to a friend that might be interested in helping us to tell the story.
We have six days to reach our goal. With yesterday's court loss it is even more important that we get this story told.
Posted by eric at November 25, 2009 5:20 PM