Slowed Atlantic Yards Project Could Mean Empty Lots

Rendering courtesy of Municipal Art Society; original aerial photo by Jonathan Barkey.

As a counterpoint to the new renderings of Frank Gehry's redesign for the Atlantic Yards flagship tower, here's a different perspective on the project's future look. The Municipal Art Society [MAS] has assembled a compelling slideshow that serves as a sort of dystopian crystal ball, depicting what could come come if Bruce Ratner moves forward with his development on 22-acres of land in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn.

The MAS renderings take as a starting point Ratner’s recent admission that the economic downturn will stall most of the proposed construction for the time being. But since he still intends to raze everything in the project’s footprint and break ground on the stadium and one building, the MAS slideshow envisions a desolate expanse of vacant lots surrounding a lonely arena for decades to come.

Ratner “anticipates” that the entire project – which would feature 16 buildings for commercial, residential and retail – will be complete by 2018, but MAS notes that these large scale projects rarely turn out according to the initial plans.

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By John Del Signore in News on May 6, 2008 11:32 AM

Comments [rss]

Spirit of 76

Come on, do you really think Atlantic Yards will have anything resembling affordable rents? They'll be expensive apartments and they'll do nothing to help stabilize rents.

Think2wice

Personally, I'd like there to be denser development in and around the Atlantic Terminal transit hub. (As the builders of the Williamsburg Bank tower and Independent Subway System aka IND had speculated on in 1929).

It's Ratner's history of uninspired buildings and the state's method of using eminent domain that has opened up this pandora's box and made so many Brooklynites almost phobic of tall buildings in and around the rail yards.

This is development from above and by fiat. Not what individual property owners choose to do, do by themselves, and do according to organic market forces.

Sir Jimbob

As opposed to the vacant lot that it is now. Yawn. Build it. Stop complaining Luddites.

MT

NIMBY = person who refuses to have tall buildings in their neighborhood that is in a city that is already bursting at the seams and needs more residential development.

This is New York. Either allow development or stop complaining about skyrocketing rents. People aren't going to stop moving here. We like and they see that and want to be part of it. As long as the housing stock remains stagnant prices will go up because it will be definition of this city be a shrinking supply for an ever-growing demand.

zodak

"Score one for all the NIMBYs and preservationists."

MT, you obviously don't understand what NIMBY means.

Tim N.

What.

A.

Surprise.

In the Bronx in the 70s I watched as various governments (municipal, state, Federal) ploughed under people's homes and businesses in the name of urban renewal, massive projects that were going to transform whole blocks and neighborhoods. Then, when the money ran out and the suits walked away, all that was left was fields of bricks. It was nearly two decades before some of these neighborhoods recovered.

And now another guy comes in and says, I'll knock down the whole neighborhood and rebuild it better than before, and all of a sudden the politicians can't get out of each other's way to back the guy. Then the buildings come down. Then the money runs out. Then everyone walks away and leaves destroyed homes and lives in their wake.

Amazing how the lessons of history evaporate when there's money on the table.

mmlanglie

And don't forget the West Side railyards...

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/27/arts/design/27ouro.html

NYC needs that (and the rest of these corporate mega developments) like a hole in the head.

matty

I would think that the residents would be pissed off to have a giant arena in a residential community.

MT

Score one for all the NIMBYs and preservationists. This is what you're stuck with now. Enjoy it.

pazzia

what a waste of space.

Spirit of 76

Come on, Newark! Take the damn Nets already and put this terrible plan where it belongs -- in its grave.

So, anyone want to place bets as to what gets cancelled first, Ratner's yards, Thor's Coney Island or the Second Ave subway?

petebfd

fuck the kids! more parking! big shitty buildings!

spiritross

that would be awesome

the centerpiece could be a set of basketball courts that kids could play on

sonyactivision

They should prepare a slideshow of this tract as a beautiful park, which it could become if Rat-ner gets the boot.

spiritross

The scary part i think isnt the vacant lot - its all essentially a vacant lot right now

but the ultimate idea of that huge cluster of towers on the vacant lot - that triangle really isn't that big how could the footprint of those towers fit there without shrinking flatbush and atlantic ave?

green is the color indeed