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December 29, 2011
A look back at 2011: the arena rises, construction troubles, a reconfigured community response, the modular surprise, an enduring lack of oversight, and the lingering impact of Battle for Brooklyn
Atlantic Yards Report
Norman Oder runs down the Atlantic Yards year that was.
Even if the volume was turned down somewhat, it was not a quiet year in Atlantic Yards.
When I wrote my "What's next in 2011" post on 1/4/11, I pointed to "Accountability issues, timetable questions, and a reconfigured community response, with BrooklynSpeaks rising, DDDB receding."
That was mostly right, though hardly the full story. After all, as I wrote, "I wouldn't be surprised if there's a new Atlantic Yards twist."
The surprise in 2010 had been "the astonishing effort" to market Atlantic Yards to immigrant investors seeking green cards. The 2011 surprise was Forest City Ratner's revelation that it was planning to build the long-delayed first tower, and the rest of the project, via untested modular construction. (That's still not firm.)
Accompanying that statement was the astonishing admission by developer Bruce Ratner that union-built towers with affordable housing had never been viable. While that contradicted some eight years of his and backers' statements, it produced few ripples.
While I pointed to "a push to sell Nets tickets and suites, and further evidence of Forest City Ratner/Barclays strategic philanthropy," I didn't fully anticipate the impact of the arena rising and how the Nets and Barclays Center operators would strategically dole out announcements, including the unsurprising team name, to generate press coverage.
Along with the arena and railyard work, which soon stretched to after-hours work, came a steady stream of complaints about the impact of construction--parking, garbage, traffic, and noise, as well as a seeming weekly (if not daily) pattern of violating various promises and rules, all documented via Atlantic Yards Watch, a key new player in the community response.
Posted by eric at December 29, 2011 10:09 AM