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January 25, 2010
The evolution of BrooklynSpeaks, now without the Municipal Art Society, to AY opposition (but the governance proposal remains)
Atlantic Yards Report
The presence of BrooklynSpeaks constituent groups in court January 19 for the combined case challenging the Empire State Development Corporation's (ESDC) 2009 approval of Atlantic Yards was a watershed of sorts, a sign that the coalition, formed in September 2006 under a "mend it, don't end it" philosophy, had recognized the limits of that strategy.
Also, the presence of group members in the audience significantly boosted the contingent of project opponents in the courtroom.
Their willingness to go to court, as described further below, helped generate a split with the Municipal Art Society (MAS), the venerable preservation and planning organization that spawned the coalition and has advocated for AY reforms.
MAS supplied a significant part of the analysis behind BrooklynSpeaks's critique of AY (such as open space that seems private) as well as BrooklynSpeaks's quite reasonable governance proposal that the Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC) form a subsidiary to oversee Atlantic Yards, just as subsidiaries have been formed to oversee other long-term projects, such as Battery Park City.
Posted by eric at January 25, 2010 9:17 AM