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January 12, 2010

It came from the Blogosphere...

Streetsblog, State Moves to Disrupt Street Grid in Atlantic Yards Footprint

If the closures do take effect, it's about to get a little harder to move between Fort Greene, Prospect Heights, and Park Slope, no matter how you get around. Ratner's project has already forced cyclists heading to the Manhattan Bridge to find detours around one of the safest and most convenient routes, thanks to the 2008 closure of the Carlton Avenue bridge (for which there is no end in sight).

Now, these proto-superblocks will degrade the street grid further. Will pedestrians be barred from any of the sidewalks on the affected streets? The Empire State Development Corporation, overseer of the project, hasn't responded to Streetsblog's inquiries.

Gothamist, Streets Will Be Taken Off The Grid For Atlantic Yards Project

Dan Goldstein — who lives in the Atlantic Yards footprint and is facing eminent domain proceedings for his property — told the Brooklyn Paper that the state is acting too soon. "They're taking the streets prematurely," said Goldstein, who has reportedly started looking for a new place to live. "We'll be challenging that [street seizure], which is part of [the state’s use of] eminent domain."

Runnin' Scared, Atlantic Yards Brings "Permanent" Street Closings; Ratner Writes a Letter; Haier In On Barclays Center

Roy Edroso rounds up some recent Atlantic Yards-related news.

clusterflock, Freddy’s is fighting and they’re doing it on Fox News, baby

Freddy’s is more than a bar. It’s a community, a true neighbourhood sanctuary, and a fantastic music venue. It is expected that the site that Freddy’s sits on will fit a few SUVs in the parking lot that is planned for it. Handcuffs have been installed in the bar, and there are more than enough people willing to chain themselves to the bar and go to jail to defy the bailiffs if and when they arrive at Freddy’s door.

Politics on the Hudson, The proposed Yonkers lobbyist law

Some readers have expressed interest in seeing the proposed legislation to require lobbyists to register with the Yonkers City Clerk before lobbying a Yonkers city official, so I’ve attached it in the jump.

Yesterday Councilman John Murtagh, R-5th District, issued a call to adopt the legislation before it dies in committee. He introduced it in October.
...

“If you read the indictment it says Forest City Ratner hired Zehy and he lobbied me,” Murtagh said. “I knew there was some relationship, but I didn’t know he was a $60,000 a year paid consultant.”

structureHUB, Eli Broad is definitely not Bruce Ratner, when it comes to local dealing

Bruce Ratner must look at Eli Broad with tears of envy. While Ratner has fought tooth and nail with residents, various elected officials, and skittish creditors to build his Xanadu (can Atlantic Yards still be called that after being repeatedly downsized?) in Brooklyn, Eli Broad has has had the luxury of Southern California cities fight each other just to win the right privilege of being home to his planned contemporary art museum. Of course, massive mixed-use projects with stadiums at their core are slightly different animals than relatively modest-scale art museums backed by $200 million private endowments.

Curbed, Google Cheers on Brooklyn Nets

PROSPECT HEIGHTS—Next month three streets will get wiped off the city's grid for the construction of Atlantic Yards, but a tipster points out that according to Google Maps the project's Barclays Center arena already is alive and kickin'. The patrons of Freddy's Bar will now begin a Google boycott.

NetsDaily, Arena Work Proceeding at “Fast Break” Speed

As critics promise to stay in their homes and businesses to slow Barclays Center construction, New York is moving quickly to speed it up. The city has announced the imminent closing of three small streets around the arena site. The Brooklyn Paper, in fact, reports Bruce Ratner is moving “far more rapidly than a Nets fast-break.” A city official tells WNYC that affordable housing “will follow very shortly” after the arena.

NoLandGrab: "Very shortly" means "probably never."

Brownstoner, Atlantic Yards Street Closures to Kick In Next Month

Get ready for the Atlantic Yards-related inconveniences to begin!

Posted by eric at January 12, 2010 5:22 PM