« Nets arena foes lose another court case | Main | State Owns Atlantic Yards; Brooklyn Homeowners’ Titles Taken »
March 1, 2010
Judge Approves Land Seizures for Atlantic Yards
NY Observer
by Eliot Brown
The property seizures necessary for a new Brooklyn Nets basketball arena have been approved by a judge, clearing a path for a groundbreaking on the $4.9 billion Atlantic Yards project.
The action, for which the Brooklyn judge granted a state petition seeking the title of properties within the project's footprint, is one of the final few legal challenges opponents of the project and holdout landowners had thrown at the state in an attempt to block, or delay, the development.
In a project marked by incremental movements toward the start of construction, this one has a tangible effect: On March 8, the state announced, it will finally create its "superblocks," forever shutting down the streets within the project's footprint to make way for the development. In a statement, Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn said the affected property owners and tenants "will be considering all of their legal options in light of today's ruling."
There are two other cases still pending that would stop the project, however they are not viewed by government officials or executives at Forest City Ratner, Atlantic Yards' developer, as likely to be successful.
Posted by eric at March 1, 2010 4:48 PM