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March 11, 2010
Ratner's Net gain for B'klyn
NY Post
by Andrea Peyser
The Post's ever-pissed-off-at-the-world columnist churns out some more Bruce Ratner-as-altruistic-benefactor nonsense.
For six years he's fought the good fight, endured a rough economy and a whole lot of angst. Today, Bruce Ratner breaks ground on his basketball arena, office and apartment complex in Brooklyn's Atlantic Yards -- a spot that's been screaming for development since Ratner was a boy.
...But Ratner doesn't begrudge the protesters' right to yell.
"We take it and we take it for what it is -- as part of a democracy."
Nice, except that Bruce was inside the groundbreaking "Green Zone" behind multiple security perimeters, while the protestors were penned behind barricades, each seemingly paired with his or her personal NYPD officer.
Here comes the good part.
This project is overwhelmingly popular with real folks around the city, despite a small and disproportionately vocal opposition.
Yeah, "real" folks. Like billionaire mayors and Jay-Z. Keepin' it real.
Now for the really good part.
Despite the drama, "I would absolutely do it again," Ratner told me. "I would do it again because I think of the importance of this project to the city. We need to build civic projects in this city."
Real folks sacrificing to build "civic" projects.
Thank you, Bruce. We apologize for our lack of gratitude.
Posted by eric at March 11, 2010 4:53 PM