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January 5, 2010
DDDB PRESS RELEASE: Clarifying Associated Press Story On Atlantic Yards and Eminent Domain
We Aren't Going Anywhere
Brooklyn, New York—The Associated Press ran a story over the weekend headlined, "As Brooklyn NBA arena project moves ahead, hopes dim for neighborhood holdouts." It left out some key information.
(The big Atlantic Yards media item of the weekend was George Will's scathing Washington Post column about New York State's perversion of "blight" to justify eminent domain for Atlantic Yards.)
The Atlantic Yards project is not a "Brooklyn NBA arena" project. It is proposed to be 16 skyscrapers and an arena for the Nets in the middle of low-rise Brooklyn neighborhoods. The Nets and the NBA are just levers to gain 22-acres of valuable real estate in the heart of Brooklyn. The project, announced by "developer" Bruce Ratner in December 2003, bypassed all New York City and State legislative oversight, despite the fact that it would be the largest project in Brooklyn's history, would receive over $2 billion in taxpayer subsidies, breaks and gifts, uses eminent domain theft for private gain, and includes a sweetheart land deal between the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
"The story of Atlantic Yards is that it is a politically corrupt deal, a land grab based on the collusion of the highest levels of state government and developer Forest City Ratner," said Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn spokesman Daniel Goldstein. "All the problems that result—the irrational size of the project, the traffic that would result, the extreme density without suitable infrastructure, the various negative environmental impacts, the residential displacement—are symptoms of a broken system and a corrupt process."
The AP article failed to mention two pending lawsuits against the project and two pending motions in the state's high court which challenge the project's use of eminent domain. The article also fails to mention the numerous legal challenges which will shortly come when the state attempts to take title to properties and sever leases with eminent domain.
"The article implied that I was getting ready to move out of my home, which the state wants to steal and give to Ratner to build his billion dollar, publicly-subsidized arena and the rest of his boondoggle. But I'm not going anywhere, and neither are my neighbors who live and own property in the coveted project site," Goldstein said. "We will not leave our homes unless all of our legal options to stay are extinguished. And, if need be, others still will fight for their homes and businesses beyond that."
Posted by eric at January 5, 2010 1:03 PM