Just when you thought it was safe to tune out the never-ending legal saga surrounding the controversial Atlantic Yards development, along comes a Supreme Court judge to bring it all bubbling back to the surface. Today New York State Supreme Court Judge Marcy Friedman ruled against the Empire State Development Corporation, the governor-controlled entity that shepherded the project through very choppy waters. The crux of the ruling is that the ESDC's environmental review of the project only examined its impact over a decade. Now, of course, the build-out is estimated to take a quarter century. more ›

Here's a sign that the Atlantic Yards project might actually get built — longstanding opponent Daniel Goldstein has started to look for a new place to live, according to the Associated Press. Goldstein, the most vocal adversary of developer Bruce Ratner's plan to move the New Jersey Nets to Brooklyn and construct a high-rise housing complex, currently resides within the project's footprint and would be forced out using eminent domain proceedings. Though the wire service reports "he isn't ready to concede defeat," Goldstein has apparently started thinking about finding a new place to live. This comes after the seemingly beleaguered project won a major victory when a court dismissed a lawsuit challenging its use of eminent domain, and after Ratner finally closed on the $4.9 billion deal. In November, the state gave Goldstein a lowball offer for his Prospect Heights condo, promising him $80,000 less than he spent to buy it in 2003. more ›

Brooklyn writers are banding together to be the latest voice against Bruce Ratner's vision for Atlantic Yards. A number of local wordsmiths have contributed to Brooklyn Was Mine, an anthology consisting of short essays and stories put together by two Vogue editor to benefit Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn (a non-profit that fights development while uniting the community). From the press release:

"Brooklyn has given birth to some of America's greatest literary voices," note the anthology's co-editors, Chris Knutsen and Valerie Steiker. "Today, a new generation of authors has grown up or resettled here, a testament to Brooklyn's unique quality of life. These writers simply want to protect a community that has provided them with so much. Fortunately, the passion they feel for the place has yielded a vibrant collection of essays—and we are delighted that, with each book sold, something will be given back to Brooklyn."