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Rallies aren’t just for grassroots activists – moneyed developers can hold them too, as Bruce Ratner proved yesterday by financing an afternoon rally in downtown Brooklyn to support his beleaguered Atlantic Yards project. Organizers of the so-called “Brooklyn Day” event handed out free hot dogs and T-shirts to passersby in an attempt to drum up enthusiasm for the $4.2 billion project, though there were no free turkeys to fully evoke the Tammany Hall spirit.
Speaking about the rally to the Sun, Council Member Tony Avella said, "I think that the project itself is in jeopardy – and it was a bad one to start out with – and that is why I think they are doing this. Obviously they are trying to make the point that this has to happen immediately. But this is nonsense. Brooklyn is doing very well, and if this is about subsidies – well it ain't going to happen."
The proposed 22-acre project, which would include a basketball stadium as well as 16 residential and commercial towers, has received an unknown amount subsidies and tax breaks, but the Sun reports that figure could reach $2 billion. Al Sharpton, who had been expected to attend, was a no-show, so the crowd had to make do with other notables, like Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa (pictured, left). Atlantic Yards Report has a thorough blow-by-blow of the many speeches, which included Brooklyn borough president Marty Markowitz’s rallying cry: “This is Brooklyn’s future. Nobody is going to hold it back, nobody. We deserve it.”
The community advocacy group ACORN was represented by Bertha Lewis, who gave an impassioned speech in favor of the project, despite recent news that the promised affordable housing component of the project would be delayed as Ratner focuses on getting the stadium built first. Union leaders and Nets players were also on hand, as well as State Senator Carl Kruger. Develop Don’t Destroy detected some irony in Kruger’s support, as he had adamantly opposed what he called “a backdoor approach to eminent domain” when the city announced plans to take over the Coney Island amusement district.
Photographs courtesy AKinloch, who has more photos here.
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Affordable housing the first thing to go? I'm STUNNED.
I don't think Ratner could be more transparent in his pathetic attempts to spin the community response to AY.
Back in May, there was a rally to call for a halt to demolitions, subsidies, et cetera, until there was a public review of his pet project; Ratner responded by staging a counterprotest, primarily composed of union laborers forced to attend via the concept of union duty. Meanwhile, the police kept journalists out of the Atlantic Terminal Mall, even going so far as to manhandle the Atlantic Yards Report's Norman Oder. That too was a pathetically transparent effort, but this is even more bizarre.
By artificially inflating his numbers via free hotdogs, celebrity appearances, and so on, Ratner has exposed his basically infirm position, confirming for us that this is far from a done deal. Many people, presumably there for food and autographs, did not stick around for the speeches, and one wonders what their commitment to AY is - or whether they really even understood what they were supporting.
Ratner is once again painting himself as the man who's bringing basketball to Brooklyn, but realistically what he's bringing is blight. Hopefully, this latest "rally" will be regarded by the public as the corporate theatrical sham that it really was.
AY has supporters?!?!
I think the Nets franchise would do better in Brooklyn than Jersey.
I don't like the residential aspect of AY but a hotel and a stadium would definitely provide jobs to the area.
I always thought Sliwa was a joke, but now he's worse. He's a parody of a joke. Lose the beret, guy. It's not the 80s anymore.
Curtis, Curtis, Curtis. You're lettin' me down bro.
www.forgotten-ny.com
THIS MOUTH FOR HIRE
Ratner mouthpiece Al Sharpton
Has a message in store:
Storm the treasury, find the funds--
Our one true friend needs more!
I support AY jrod5417 and I'm a couple blocks away.
"Ratner is once again painting himself as the man who's bringing basketball to Brooklyn, but realistically what he's bringing is blight." ~kingstonlounge
Well it would bring basketball to brooklyn..you can't argue with that. And as for blight.. really? Are you familiar with the footprint that is to be developed? I agree that impressive design and construction of AY will be very important... But at present, most of the development footprint is a big ugly and undevelopded patch of land in the middle of some of the best neighborhoods in Brooklyn. Unless they build it devoid of any character, AY will be a place that will benefit Bk and Nyc as a whole for generations.
Mmmmm. I wanna hotdog! And can I have a $4.2billion hideous piece of shit to go with it?
How inappropriate, for government officials to allow a single, private developer, to use the Brooklyn Day celebration for self-serving political and economic benefit. Once again, we see how the government in New York is facilitating and aiding developers by use of public funds, energy, and now, public celebrations, to enhance a single developer's benefit.
Using the celebration to bring attention to all developers in Brooklyn, both large and small, would have held a valid public purpose. But to use the Brooklyn Day celebration to promote a single, private developer, is outrageous, and probably breaks several ethical canons of governmental independence. The citizens of New York City should be concerned that their government is using the public trust bestowed by them to facilitate a private developer, who seems to be incapable of even starting his development without the public picking up the tab.
To be clear, the Atlantic Yard development is a public funded, windfall profit giveaway to one developer. Period. The United States Constitution, as interpreted by the Supreme Court in Kelo v. New London (2005) has stated the following:
“A purely private taking could not withstand the scrutiny of the public use requirement; it would serve no legitimate purpose of government and would thus be void” … "Nor would the City be allowed to take property under the mere pretext of a public purpose, when its actual purpose was to bestow a private benefit."
This development is a purely private taking, as a pretext of a public purpose, to bestow a private benefit on one developer. I pray to the Supreme Court, bring this developer, and these public officials, before your honorable chamber to answer why the Atlantic Yard development, the public process, the continued use of government resources, and even Brooklyn Day Celebrations, is now only for the wealthy few and politically connected.
Interesting editorial in The Brooklyn Paper on this subject:
http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/31/23/31_23_ratners_false_choice.html
GERSH