Atlantic Yards Approval Vote This Afternoon

The Empire State Development Corporation will vote to approve (we feel very safe in predicting this) Atlantic Yards today, setting the stage for a very interesting end-of-the year drama with Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver in the lead role. In an appearance on WNYC's Brian Lehrer Show yesterday, ESDC Chair Charles Gargano--who Silver has called "the most corrupt" member of the Pataki Administration--could not get the word "condemnation" out and, at first said there would be no vote on eminent domain today. Specfically:

Brian Lehrer: Part of that vote is any condemnations that you decide are needed. Does that mean seizing property under eminent domain?

Charles Gargano: At this point, we have, we do—we have not used, or--have not used to date any eminent domain condemn-condemn-condemnation.

BL: And you don’t anticipate a vote on anything like that tomorrow?

CG: No, there is nothing about that tomorrow.

The ESDC's spokesperson later said that the Chairman "misspoke" and that they would, in fact, vote on eminent domain.

Perhaps with the spinach scare and the Taco Bell problem, Mr. Gargano though that Mr. Lehrer had switched topics to food safety and asked about imminent ptomaine rather than eminent domain?