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February 23, 2010
It came from the Blogosphere...
Field of Schemes, Yankee Stadium demolition, new park construction creep along
It's almost time for the New York Yankees to begin their second season at their new stadium, and Daily News columnist Juan Gonzalez notes that the new parks to replace the ones buried under the team's new home in 2006 are still nowhere to be found:
Back in late 2006, when U.S. District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald rejected a challenge to the stadium plan by local residents, she noted that the city was replacing all parkland with new permanent park facilities.
"Nearly all [of those facilities] will be operational by the time the new Yankee Stadium opens in 2009," the judge said in her decision, "and the remaining three ballparks to be located on the existing Yankee Stadium fields will become accessible by 2010."
...Portions of a new park and outdoor tennis courts were inaugurated along the Harlem River in November - just in time for winter. But a huge new tennis clubhouse, cafe and community facility have not been finished. Nor has a toddler park, a skateboarding park, a full esplanade for the public, and a sand beach along the river - all of which were promised.
Brownstoner, Commercial Klutch: February Edition
Meanwhile, next door at MetroTech 2, the NYC Dept. of Information Technology is taking 85,000 RSF, very good news for Forest City Ratner and the biggest lease to date in BK this year. DoIT had been considering MetroTech for nearly two years as part of NYC’s wise effort to save money by taking space in these down market times.
NoLandGrab: "Wise?" With the city laying off thousands and closing schools and firehouses, how can DoIT possibly need more space?
Room Eight, “RUNNING AGAINST VITO LOPEZ” (THE 44TH COUNCILMANIC, PART ONE OF TWO)
"Gatemouth," the Encyclopedia Brooklynica of Kings County politics, handicaps the special election in the 44th Council district with a look at the candidates' patrons.
To get what he wanted, Lopez admitted he acquiesced to the demands of the Senate Republicans (represented in negotiations by Marty Golden), who cared only about the Real Estate Board’s #1 priority, the Ratner abatement (as they sold out hundreds of other landlords; I’d cry if it weren’t so funny). Having done Ratner’s bidding, Lopez did not turn away his subsequent contribution.
Posted by eric at February 23, 2010 11:08 PM