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Developer Bruce Ratner has been letting the media know that construction will begin on the Atlantic Yards project. The controversial development will bring an arena for the Nets as well as commercial and residential space in the millions of square feet, as well as displace residents in its 22 acre footprint. Metro reports that for the first phase of prep work, a "temporary rail yard" will be set up on the eastern side so Forest City Ratner can build the arena on the western side. The work on the arena itself would begin in the fall.
Apparently the work on the eastern side, which is where an MTA bus depot is located, will involve decontamination and demolition. Russo Wrecking tells the Daily News it was proud of winning the wrecking job, as the contract was the biggest of the "initial construction contracts" awarded to female- and minority-owned businesses.
A statement from Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn, though, says:
The prep work is clearly premature, as Forest City Ratner does not own the rail yards necessary to construct the 8 million square foot project and they do not own the properties necessary to build the arena or to demap streets to build high-rise superblocks. That is because 13 of the property owners and tenants who live and work in the project site are in federal court to protect their rights and their properties from government seizure by an abusive use of eminent domain that they allege violates the United States Constitution. The developer’s ownership of the rail yards is contingent upon the outcome of that lawsuit.In fact, DDDB's Daniel Goldstein tells Metro, "I have the key to my apartment, which is in the way of their arena. Until they get my key, they can't build it."
The Atlantic Yards Report looks at how the Empire State Development Corporation didn't agree with Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz's traffic concerns.
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I've been noticing more and more than New York is at a critical point in out history. Up to this point we were the most modern, dynamic city in the world bar none. We were the epitome of progress and experimentation and excitement.
It seems like we have gotten to the point where we have just enough history behind us to start getting mired in the past. If we let this happen we will lose what is the most New York of all New York traits. Sure it's important to hold on to our past and revere it. But this is New York. We move forward. It's what has defined this city since it's inception 400 years ago. If we take away this ability to be always on the cutting edge we risk becoming just another second city. Let's try to keep some perspective when we decide what should stay and what should go. Grand Central Terminal: stay. A section of random brownstones in Brooklyn: not so much.
unless, of course, you live in the brownstones, or moved to the neighborhood for the brownstones, or grew up there loving the human feel of small buildings and big skies, or...basically liked brooklyn as "not manhattan"
AY will change the nature of this area, and the people who moved there specifically for those features will move out, and people who love living next to/in huge (and ugly - check the renderings. nothing intrinsically wrong with new stuff, but this is lousy crap) light sculptures, and getting on now overcrowded subways, sending kids to now overcrowded schools and fighting traffic will move right in. And they are welcome to it.
All of this subsidized by the you (assuming you actually pay taxes), eminent domain, and all profits to private enterprise.
If that's "civic progress", yay.
Unless of course, also, you believe that the US Constitution is still valid.
I don't quite like how the Nets banner is being pulled over this.
Bringing another lousy sports team to NYC seems like a pretty flimsy reason to justify this development. Personally, I'd rather see "smart" growth taking place in Brooklyn than the sort of thing that the AY project embodies.
If you want to build this sort of thing, why not try revitalizing the Jersey side of the Hudson? Newark or Jersey City would go gaga over this sort of high-profile project.
A: Brooklyn is (or at least was) the 4th largest city in the U.S. Moving there to escape urbanization is a pipe dream.
B: We live in George Bush's America. Do you honestly think the constitution is still in effect anywhere?
C: We're New Yorkers. Stop being so myopic. If you're so afraid of being trampled by progress, move to Topeka. I'm not saying that to be a d**k. I'm saying it because it is the reality of New York. It's the price you pay for living at the Center Of The Universe. If I ever can't cut it, I'll leave. Until then I won't bitch about it.
The asking price on our brownstone floor thru garden just went up $150K this morning. We live 5 blocks west of the site and couldn't be more pleased the NIMBYs have lost again.
The basketball team is Ratner's smoke screen. I have been saying that for I don't know how long. Bringing a pro sports team to Brooklyn was one way to get a certain borough president who's emotional development seems to have stopped in 1957 on board with the project. Can't Ratner go destroy Cleveland and let the Nets play in the Sharpe James Graft Memorial Arena in Newark?
Jersey City has been doing just fine in the revitalization vein without AY, thank you very much. As for Newark, they've got a hockey arena going in now, so hey, the Nets can come and play there.
Right - this is a real estate development, not a public work. This is not another Grand Central Terminal, or Brooklyn Bridge or anything huge and big and worthy of being in NYC.
This a basketball arena and some high-rise apartment buildings. If that's "cutting edge" NYC, then maybe we should all move to Boston.
actually, you are being a d**k, because you call this "progress", only a d**k would call this "progress."
Toby: why don't you move to Newark?
You Nimbys never cease. I can't wait to catch DDDB's frontman at a Nets game.
Will idiottes never cease with their internets jibber jabber?!
hey chuck,
the empire state building, rockefeller center, the chrysler building, the woolworth building, etc. were all private developments.
The Nets suck, and they're losing Kidd any minute so they'll suck even more. Ha.