« Our mailbag returns — and is filled with Atlantic Yards ire | Main | Top 10 Real Estate Stocks with Highest Short Interest: JOE, EJ, FCE.A, CHLN, MPG, OHI, FOR, CBG, MGRC, PICO »
April 1, 2010
EPA Orders Atlantic Yards Project Halted as Rare Species Discovered
mcbrooklyn
Adding yet another delay to the Atlantic Yards process, the Environmental Protection Agency ordered all work stopped at the future Barclays Center Arena site after research scientists identified seven rare, endangered, or threatened plant and animal species there, or about 5.5% of the plant population and 1.9% of the fauna.
Forest City Ratner's planned $4.9 billion Atlantic Yards project includes a basketball arena plus a number of high-rise buildings.
A two-year study of the site, required by environmental laws but overlooked as developer Bruce Ratner successfully fought off a series of lawsuits centered around eminent domain and other legal issues, came to the surprising conclusion that the immediate area provides critical habitat for several unique wildlife species such as the Chittenango ovate amber snail, in addition to other documented rare and threatened plant species.
The Chittenango snail is New York's most endangered native animal, and was once believed to exist only at Chittenango Falls State Park in Central New York.
"Frankly, we were pretty shocked," said Dr. Fran Milsner of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
..."This is totally ridiculous," said Robert Pragnetti, one of developer Bruce Ratner's lawyers. "It's a blighted area. We blighted it ourselves. There's no way in the world anything's going to be living there."
Posted by eric at April 1, 2010 10:36 AM