The United States Supreme Court has refused to hear the eminent domain case brought by opponents of the Atlantic Yards development. The 11 property owners now plan to take the case to New York State Court. The plaintiffs have argued that the taking of land for Forest City Ratner by eminent domain would be unconstitutional. Per a press release from Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn issued immediately after the decision:
The Court’s denial of the petition in Goldstein et al. v. Pataki et al. does not affirm or deny the plaintiffs’ arguments, nor is it the end of the legal road for the plaintiffs. The plaintiffs, fighting to prevent the seizure of their homes and businesses for the benefit of Forest City Ratner, will now pursue their eminent domain challenge in state court under New York State law.
There's a new effort coming to "reform the governance of Atlantic Yards," and it kicked off with a rally at City Hall this morning. The $4 billion project, which may be stalled or in fine shape depending on who is assessing its health, is overseen by the Empire State Development Corporation and pretty much beyond the control of New York City. It covers 22 acres and would be a massive construction project stretching over more than a decade. The officials want to create an Atlantic Yards Trust made up of state and city officials to "oversee" the project and a Stakeholders Council of local residents appointed by local elected officials to advise the trust and "provide meaningful community input." The change would have to be approved in Albany. There is an ombudsman appointed by the Empire State Development Corp. overseeing the project. All approvals were handled at the state level.
· Officials Rally for More Atlantic Yards Oversight [Sun]
· New Push for Atlantic Yards Legislation Underway [GL]
· Atlantic Yards Governance Bill Emerges Aimed at 2009 [AYR]
They've been arguing, on and off, for the last 30 years in Washington about whether tax-free financing for stadiums and arenas should be limited. Now, the issue is coming home to roost at Atlantic & Flatbush Avenues. New IRS rules barring the use of tax-exempt financing for sports facilities would present a huge problem for the nearly $1 billion Barclays Center, given that developer Forest City Ratner wants about $800 million in tax-free bond funding, give or take. In the meantime, there's been furious lobbying in Washington to try to talk the IRS into killing the rule (which effects a lot of stadiums, including added financing for Yankee Stadium) or, at least, talking it out of applying the rule to Atlantic Yards because the project was "in the development pipeline before 2006." In the now famous Atlantic Yards Stall interview with the Times, developer Bruce Ratner said "the tax changes would make it more difficult" to do the project, but still said he was hoping for a fall 2008 groundbreaking. Others are suggesting 2009. The Frank Gehry-designed arena--which would be the costliest in the world--was originally supposed to open in 2006, but 2010 is the most frequently heard year if the project moves forward, with 2011 also being heard.
· A Question Mark Looms Over Three Expensive Projects [NYT]
· Atlantic Yards 'Stall': Timeline of Despair [Curbed]
There is a new blog following that Brooklyn Atlantic Yards project thing and it has started off in a way that gets attention: a worker taking a whiz in the street. Per The Footprint Gazette:
Before today I may have made the case that Ratner was metaphorically pissing on this community. Well, now it's not a metaphor. I saw this guy take out his shvantz, piss in a giant styrofoam cup, then pour the piss out on the street.
All the residents of the Argyle, Novo Park Slope (well, someday), the new Fourth Ave. Hot Karl and other buildings going up on Brooklyn's new Park Avenue are going to have to wait a long time for the local subway station to gets its extreme makeover. As it turns out, the Brooklyn Paper reports the ambitious plan to "renovate the shabby Fourth Avenue station in Park Slope into a glittering, light-filled, Euro-styled stunner" is getting moved to the trash folder. Was it only last fall that the reno was trotted out as one of the few pieces of good news about the work that will close the Smith-9th Street Station and leave Slopers that use the F Train thinking warmly about commuting by L Train? Yup. Alas, the overall $250 million project has gotten a BudgetChop from $250M to $187.8M and the Fourth Ave. plans have been deleted.
· Fourth Avenue left waiting at the station [Brooklyn Paper]
· Slope's Fourth Ave. Station to Offer Views of New Park Avenue [Curbed]
The Atlantic Yards Battle heats up again today with a rally at Borough Hall in Downtown Brooklyn that will feature, among others, Rev. Al Sharpton and Curtis Sliwa. So, why is it taking place? Forest City Ratner, which is sponsoring the event, says it's being done because "We thought it would be a fun day." It does, after all, coincide with Brooklyn-Queens Day. (To refresh the memory on the big day: It's a Protestant holiday first celebrated in 1829 to commemorate the founding of the First Sunday School on Long Island that is marked on the first Thursday in June and is very important to the Nets, but not the Knicks.) Today's Sun, however, reports that some people suspect it may be a prelude to seeking more public money for the project as the developer is "working on finalizing the affordable housing component with the city and the state." Earlier reports of the Atlantic Yards Stall had some of the affordable housing delayed. Interestingly, a Daily News ad promoting the rally shows a Barclays Bank logo on redesigned "Building One" (aka the former Miss Brooklyn).
· Motives of Atlantic Yards Rally are Questioned [Sun]
· Disingenuousness from FCR plus a Daily News advertisement [AYR]
The $950 million Barclays Center at Atlantic Yards may be moving full steam ahead or may be stumbling, depending on which side is telling the story (the developer is saying it will open by December 31, 2010). But a key part of the financing strategy are the luxe suites, and they went on sale yesterday prices ranging from $300,000-$540,000 give or take. (Jay-Z took the first super luxe one.) No worries about paying, though, only five percent is due at signing and the rest can be paid in three installments through 2010. In addition to the new sales office in the NY Times building, the center's website has gotten a full redo to reflect the new Frank Gehry design for the building.
· No Nets Arena Yet, but Suites Are On Sale [NYT]
· Suites go on sale, timing unquestioned [AYR]
· Troubled Nets Arena in Brooklyn Selling Luxury Suites [Gothamist]
1) There's an interesting compare and contrast for those who like to do such things between the 2006 Atlantic Yards photo gallery and the current post-new renderings one. Atlantic Yards Report pulls them down and compares. (The 2008 gallery is the only one still online at the project's website.) [AYR]
2) Presumably Frank Gehry has put his battle helmet on or doesn't read the reactions to his buildings, but if he looks at today's Daily News he might feel sad. People are not loving his design. Reaction in Brooklyn ranged from "you're kidding" and "it's awful" to "ugly" and "a post-apocalyptic Earth." The News headlined it the 'Lego' Building. In our own Curbed poll, 29% percent said they liked it versus 19% that like the original Miss Brookliyn, with "non e of the above being the resounding winner with 52% [NYDN]
PROSPECT HEIGHTS—The jockeying for position continues. Today started with an avalanche of Atlantic Yards news and now the atlanticlots.com website, which is a production of the Municipal Art Society and Brooklyn Speaks has gone live. There are high quality renderings of a non-B1 future framing the opposition argument that Atlantic Yards needs to be put on hold while it's clarified. [CurbedWire Inbox]
MIDTOWN WEST—The Orion condo continues to dwell in the seventh circle of Flipper Hell and people continue to take note. A reader writes: "I don't know if anyone noticed, but a quick browse on the Corcoran website shows 22 Apts up for sale!...That's just on the Corcoran website! Where's everyone going??" Natefind is showing 29 listings, a few of them with PriceChops from the original asks. [CurbedWire Inbox]
MIDTOWN WEST—Sure, it's promotional, but an email notes that a summer concert series for residents is kicking off tonight on the roof of the Atlas, a 48-story rental building on West 38th Street and Sixth Avenue: "Live musical acts are to perform bi-weekly and will embody a whole new concept of 'home' entertainment." This is not the first music to grace the Atlas roof. [CurbedWire Inbox]
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The United States Supreme Court has refused to hear the eminent domain case brought by opponents of the Atlantic Yards development. The 11 property owners now plan to take the case to New York State Court. The plaintiffs have argued that the taking of land for Forest City Ratner by eminent domain would be unconstitutional. Per a press release from Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn issued immediately after the decision:
There's a new effort coming to "
The Atlantic Yards Battle heats up again today with a rally at Borough Hall in Downtown Brooklyn that will feature, among others, 
