September 26, 2006
City Diet for Atlantic Yards: Lose 8% (Except for Miss Brooklyn)
The City Planning Commission has spoken and says the Atlantic Yards Project should be reduced by 8%. This is only a "recommendation," but since the project's developer the Forest City Ratner had been considering a 6-8% downsizing, given all the public outcry, this seems like something the group may well do. Especially since the City Planning Commission "raved," the Post puts it, about the tallest skyscraper in the group, Frank Gehry's "Miss Brooklyn" structure that would be taller than the Williamsburgh Savings Bank in the Brooklyn skyline. Instead, the CPC asked that another tower's height be reduced so views the bank could still be seen. The CPC also asked that other buildings' heights be reduced, plus for another acre of open space to go to 8 acres total.
Critics of the plan aren't happy with the City Planning Commission's recommendation, saying the CPC should have gone further. However, project supporter Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, who more recently has been more cautious about the plan's size, told the NY Times found the silver lining: “The good news here is that the city is saying it’s the right project at the right time and at the right location.”
The Empire State Development Corporation will now decide whether or not to incorporate the CPC's recommendation. The Post notes that the ESDC "could snub" them, but "that's unlikely considering the city's financial backing for the plan."
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In the second paragraph, when you follow the sentence "Critics of the plan..." with a quote from Marty Markowitz, you imply that he is one of the critics of the Atlanic Yards project. Markowitz has been championing Ratner's proposal from the beginning, and is certainly exempt from the category of critics due to his instrumental role in shaping the project.
It would have been more responsible to find a quote from those who actually oppose the project (starting with Develop Don't Destroy), or to have accurately qualified Markowitz's statement.
I did write Markowitz has been "supportive of the project though concerned over the size of the project" but you're right, it could use a little more clarification.
Fuck Bruce Ratner, Fuck Marty, This whole project is an effort to further distance the classes anyway. It doesn't matter if the project is resized or not . In the end the results are going to be the same . The Nets are going to go through a period of sticking up the joint, The housing market in the area will stall as a result of the outlandish prices of living in one of the units. Let's not forget the homes in the surrounding area . There property taxes are going to shoot through the fucking roof! As for the tallest building in the borough, It will become a forgotten relic of the soon to be current pass . It's really sad once you look at it , Money, Power , And most of all GREED, Will be the direct cause of all that will become of what the current landscape is , So SAD!!!!!!
Who cares, just let them build it in peace. Brooklyn people better get used to this as Manahattan's days are numbered.
Deal with it you hipster Brooklyn kids!
A good compromise, although lowering the height on a building is insanity, as it does nothing except meet unreasonable demands.
People who want to move here should be asked first "do you know that you are moving to a city of tall buildings?". If they give any indication of "height-jealousy" they should be banned.
A 100% downsizing is needed and Marty Markowitz needs therapy over the issue of the Dodgers leaving Brooklyn. The Dodgers moved to LA, get over it. No bunch of overpaid thugs in their underwear playing a children's game is going to even come close to replacing them.
whoa! only 6 comments in and the racism starts a-flowin'.
i've said this a million times already. the people who are crying about "developing not destroying" brooklyn are the ones that have pushed out the original immigrant population out of bk.
you destroyed brooklyn, bruce ratner is simply putting the nail in the coffin.
...and you (the taxpayer) are paying for his privilege
I don't read a bit of racism in #6. Perhaps #7 would like to look at the bigger issues rather than making useless comments.
infrastructure strain
tax abatements at the expense of tax base
oversized buildings that belong in manhattan - not brooklyn
racism is 6:
"No bunch of overpaid thugs in their underwear playing a children's game is going to even come close to replacing them."
and why do big buildings belong in manhattan and not brooklyn? because you moved to park slope so you could brag to your manhattan friends about how much "homier" it is?
This coversation on Gothamist is so tired. One side constantly missteps with statements like "Big Buildings in Manhattan only" while the other side just says "Nimby" over and over again. No one addresses the actual situation. The real problems with this plan is how the neighborhood will deal with the influx of people. It isn't set up to. It needs to be addressed. Lowering the size of the project helps, but the community (both the old and the proposed new community) need to have the proper infastructure for this sort of growth. I live three blocks from the site, I own, I'm not thrilled with this. I think the use of emininet domain is inexcusable. That said, if you remove the eminent domain, I'm okay with this. I hope when the final project is announced and construction begins, we can begin to have a conversations about what Prospect Heights, The Atlantic Yards (I believe it should be it's own neighborhood given its size) and Fort Greene are going to be like in the years to come. These cries about the death of Brooklyn are hyberbolic and not at all helpful. Don't say the project destroys Brooklyn because the project does not fit your idea of Brooklyn, discuss the real damage it can do. Blocking your view of the Williamsburg bank is not a reason. Again, the accusations of Nimbyism and the rich trying to keep their neighborhoods elite are also not helpful. Many, many homes in the area are owned by families who bought long before the boom. And as I've said before, just because I was able to buy my home does not mean I have to tolerate bad planning. Sigh.
AMEN!
I was all set to rant, then I realized I couldn't add anything to #11's comments. Well said. And...Infrastructure first.
Brooklyn people need to realize that thats the future of BK, like it or lump it! Brooklyn is growing, why else did you move there!
Hipsters stop crying over this issue and get real
To those who love the idea of a Brooklyn that looks like midtown manhattan: you can have it! In fact, let's build a Mr. Brooklyn, and a Mrs. Brooklyn too! (Shouldn't Rattner and Gehry leave the nicknames to the residents of Brooklyn?)
To those of you that bemoan the evils of gentrification: you can have it! Hopefully a failing economy once W. leaves office will leave the Atlantic Yards and surrounding area looking like Brooklyn in the 70's. Now THOSE were the days, weren't they?!
But promise me this, proponents of the project: When we who loathe it CUT AND RUN and head somewhere else, far away, don't you dare think of following us. NYC will be consist exclusively of bankers and real estate developers (and those that serve them) some day soon . The rest of us will be long gone, hopefully where none of you can find us.
“Don't say the project destroys Brooklyn because the project does not fit your idea of Brooklyn, discuss the real damage it can do. Blocking your view of the Williamsburg bank is not a reason.”
Comment 11 – well said. As a neighbor to Manhattan, development in Brooklyn is inevitable. Like it or not, the Brooklyn skyline will be redefined whether it is now or 10 years from now. People need to start accepting this.
There are bigger issues here. Eminent domain is and always will be a terrible thing. I won’t argue that. However, I encourage people to look at the positive benefits of such a plan. Atlantic Yards will bring urban renewal to a decaying terminal and a vastly rundown Brooklyn area. This project will clean the area up. It’s much safer for a community of kids to run around a newly developed Atlantic Yards rather than the Vanderbilt Yards. The development project will also help with ailing after-school programs in the neighborhood and improve infra structure like street repairs and new water and sewage lines.
As for congestion, the development area is a magnet for public transportation use, which should alleviate some worries about heavy street traffic. The subway station is right next to Atlantic Avenue, which is the biggest transit hub outside of midtown Manhattan. Virtually every major subway line stops there. In addition, there are buses and the LIRR. No matter what borough you are from, you can get to Atlantic Yards fast and affordable. The increased foot traffic will be sporadic like MSG.
As for Comment 6 – Way to generalize an entire league. Referring to all basketball players as “thugs” is rash and ignorant. You clearly know nothing about sports if you call basketball a “children’s game.” It’s one thing if you’re not a sports fan, but don’t make wild generalities and overarching claims. No one is saying the Nets will replace the Dodgers; they are two entirely different sports and franchises.