Bklink: Atlantic Yards "Time Out" Rally

"The 'Atlantic Yards stall' has brought groups representing different flavors of project criticism and opposition together for a rally at 2 pm on Saturday, May 3, with a range of local political officials confirmed as attendees. The location is 752 Pacific Street near Carlton Avenue in the AY footprint, a block planned to hold "interim surface parking" that could last indefinitely. (The Brooklyn Paper broke the news, though the lead of the article says Sunday rather than Saturday and stresses stopping demolitions.)"--AYR

Interesting Vid: Ratner Brooklyn Museum Protest

Here's a very nicely done video on the entire issue of the Brooklyn Museum's controversial Gala honoring Bruce Ratner. It's short documentary length, but definitely worth a view if you've got the time.

De Blasio Calls for Moratorium on Atlantic Yards Demolition

City Council Member and Brooklyn Borough President candidate Bill de Blasio is calling for a moratorium on demolition in the Atlantic Yards footprint. Mr. de Blasio made comments deeply critical of possible changes in the huge project as part of a wideranging discussion last night that covered everything from construction safety as developers race to beat changes in the 421a tax break program to zoning issues in Gowanus and Carroll Gardens. (Check out Brownstoner's excellent report on the discussion here.) On Atlantic Yards, Mr. de Blasio said, "I am livid at the New York Times interview with Ratner" in which the developer announced that the project would be scaled back and that massive amounts of affordable housing would be seriously delayed or eliminated. "There was no discussion with the community before he went on record," Mr. de Blasio said, adding that the changes put "the entire community benefits agreement up for question."

Last night, Mr. de Blasio said he supports "a moratorium on demolition until there is a written plan" that "confirms what will be built when and confirms affordability" and that he "can't support" an arena-only plan. He added that "We need something in writing from Forest City Ratner to tell us if there has been a change and if there's been a change we need to revisit it." (The agreement with the state gives the developer six years to build the arena, 12 years to fully build "Phase I" and an unspecified amount of time to build "Phase II.") The Council Member said he does not support the project solely as an arena with an office tower. He said that he had supported the project because of the "exceptional" amount of affordable housing, but has been deeply critical of "the lack of community involvement and the lack of transparency" in the process. "I've never seen something so fundamentally mishandled in terms of excluding the community."

There is no indication, however, that a demolition moratorium is forthcoming. The entire issue could be rendered moot as demolition work is wrapped up by the end of spring, leaving land that could remain vacant for decades if the development stalls. Mr. de Blasio said he is "worried" about a parallel to 1960s-style urban renewal, which left neighborhoods with huge tracts of cleared land for failed projects that later took decades to develop.

We will have more from our conversation with Mr. de Blasio, on non-Atlantic Yards-related topics.

Bklink: Brooklyn Diary

The Daily News has a new feature called "Brooklyn Diary" and one of today's entries deals with whether the art collecting done by the wife of Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz at the Brooklyn Museum Ratner Gala violated any city rules. "...it raised questions the city Conflict of Interest Board had never before considered...A source said the agency has never ruled on issues involving an official's spouse, but suggested that had Markowitz taken the multi-colored artworks himself, it would have likely been a conflict. 'This is kind of a tricky one,' said the source, who added the agency was aware of Jamie's newfound art collection but refused to say whether there was investigation into the possible conflict."--NYDN

Upcoming: Brooklyn Matters First Cinema Screening

The documentary Brooklyn Matters will have its first cinematic screening on May 1. It will be shown at 7:30PM at the Cobble Hill Cinemas, which is located at 265 Court Street (at Butler). First come, first seated. More info at the film's website. A trailer is below.

Atlantic Yards Omsbudsman Office Not Open, But Should "Soon"

Where is the Atlantic Yards Ombudsman? Apparently, he's around, just not in an office that members of the public can get into right now. Per Jotham Sederstrom in the Daily News:

Nearly a year after state officials announced they would hire a community advocate for residents living near the Atlantic Yards project, the doors have yet to swing open to the public, officials acknowledged Tuesday. Former MTA executive Forrest Taylor was hired in a fit of damage control nine months after a building collapse on Pacific St. within the $4.2 billion development site.

But since November, when Taylor started the job, office renovations and ongoing meetings with city and state officials have delayed his advocacy duties. "He's been the ombudsman since we hired him and he's been working with the community, but this will be the first time he'll be keeping office hours," said Empire State Development Corp. spokesman Warner Johnston.

The politically savvy Taylor, a one-time chief of staff to the City Council speaker, was hired in November by ESDC officials for a job that led many Prospect Heights residents to believe he would act as a voice for the community. But only 60% of Taylor's job would be spent addressing community concerns, Johnston said.

After Mr. Sederstrom asked, the state said Mr. Taylor's office on Hanson Place would be opening soon. He is currently on vacation.

[Photo courtesy of threecee/flickr]

Dean Street Demolition Porn

[Photo courtesy of Brit in Brooklyn]

This is the last remain residential building on the Vanderbilt Avenue side of the Atlantic Yards site. It still retains the Hot Bird advertecture.

Ratner Gala Fun Continues: Marty's Wife is "Brooklyn Booster"

There is more coverage of that Murakami swag story that broke online at Radar about how Borough President Marty Markowitz's wife "hoarded" Murakami swag after the Bruce Ratner Gala on Thurdsay. Jotham Sederstrom follows up in today's Daily News. Here's a sample:

Who knew the first lady of Brooklyn was also its biggest booster? Jamie Markowitz, the wife of Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, scooped up eight pricey fiberglass place mats - works of art by pop artist Takashi Murakami - set aside for guests at a glitzy Brooklyn Museum gala. The limited-edition Technicolor mats, which have sold for $1,000 on eBay after a similar event, were included in a grab bag of pricey freebies for guests celebrating the opening of the artist's three-month exhibition last Thursday.

"It's a little true," Markowitz laughed Sunday when asked about an item on RadarOnline.com that painted her as a tad greedy. Radar reported that when several guests who didn't get a mat asked for one of her eight, she replied, "You guys really should have acted faster. This is Brooklyn!"

To another, she said, "You snooze, you lose, buddy. Forget it." ...Markowitz wasn't the only one making a mad dash for the costly dining accessories, according to a witness at the glamorous ball.

Story confirmed, apparently.

GL Sunday TV: Kanye West at the Ratner Brooklyn Museum Gala

Here are some vids of Kanye West performing at the Bruce Ratner Gala at the Brooklyn Museum, along with a couple of other misc. Brooklyn Museum-related vids.

Ratner Post-Gala: Did Marty's Wife "Hoarde" Murakami Swag?

The Brooklyn Museum Bruce Ratner Gala continues to produce interesting stories. Radar, which always entertains us, but doesn't often offer up Brooklyn fodder, is doing so in a big way with a story about the wife of a certain Brooklyn Borough President allegedly cornering the market on Murakami swag after the big, controversial event. To wit:

Without a doubt, the person who got the most out of Thursday night's Takashi Murakami retrospective opening at the Brooklyn Museum of Art was Jamie Snow, the wife of Brooklyn borough president Marty Markowitz. She grabbed eight of the limited-addition Murakami technicolor fiberglass place mats that were being given out as gifts to party-goers—mats that fetched up to $1,000 on eBay after similar events. And she was wasn't about to give even one of them up...The mats were intended to be taken by seated guests, but after wolfing down dinner, the enterprising Snow, perhaps sensing a business opportunity, rounded up eight of the mats and rushed over to Murakami to have them signed. When party-goers who ended up placemat-less asked her if she would kindly relinquish one, Snow snidely remarked, "You guys really should have acted faster. This is Brooklyn," and skulked away.

Subsequent attempts to secure a mat from the hoarder, including one made by an elderly, charming Nigerian fellow, were met with the following variety of responses: "No," "Nope!" "I can't hear you!" "You snooze you lose, buddy," "Forget it!" and, in what can only be considered a charming nod to the borough her husband represents, the always effective, "I won't say anything but I will stick my tongue out at you." (Naomi Campbell walked away with six of them when the same party was thrown at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles.)

When Markowitz himself was asked to intervene—he is, after all, purportedly a politician, and settling minor squabbles is his mandate—he responded like a man who had seen it before: "Just try being married to her."

A fascinating story and one that we suspect will have "legs" as they say in the business.

More Brooklyn Museum Fun: Crowd-Curation Succeeds!

A GL reader sent us this image that was submitted to the "Click!" crowd-curated photo exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum. It's not clear whether it went in pre- or post-Bruce Ratner Gala furor, but it is certainly a statement in its own way and talks about the "changing face" of Brooklyn and "sterile condos, fusions restaurants, hand-bag poodles..." and the "irony of an art institution paying homage to such a changing face." Click over to our Curbed post to see the full image after the jump there, along with the warning that it's not a work or kids-looking-over-your shoulder kind of picture.

PM Update: Gehry Says Miss Brooklyn is Alive

Despite all the recent headlines about the Atlantic Yards Stall and the demise of Miss Brooklyn, Frank Gehry says his signature tower is still alive. He lays the news on the Brooklyn Paper, which caught up with him at last night's controversial Brooklyn Museum Gala. Of Bruce Ratner, Mr. Gehry says "He really does want to build it...But he can’t get the financing. I don’t know why he would tell the papers that, but it is true." But, he tells Gersh Kuntzman that "Bruce will have a tenant soon — and then he’ll begin construction." In the meantime, Mr. Gehry is tweaking his tower and says that it will "look better than anyone imagines."

Brooklyn Museum Ratner Protest is Angry & Visual

[All photos courtesy of Adrian Kinloch/Brit in Brooklyn]

The Brooklyn Museum's sold-out Gala honoring developer Bruce Ratner drew a crowd both inside and out last night. The photos here were shot by Brit in Brooklyn blogger Adrian Kinloch, who has his own post on the event here. Atlantic Yards Report gives this description of the "angry" demonstration:

Maybe it was the parade of limousines and SUVs bringing well-dressed guests--at $500 to $1000 and more a plate--to an event that protesters likely arrived at via the 2/3 subway line. Maybe it was a sense that Forest City Ratner, however stalled in its plans for most of Atlantic Yards, is in the driver's seat, with most elected officials yet to challenge the developer. Maybe it's that demolitions promise increased blight around the Atlantic Yards footprint. Maybe it's just the accumulation of grievances.

But the protest organized by Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn last night outside the museum was notably angry, with some 80 people gathering at one point, many chanting "Ratner is a liar" and "Shame on you" at vehicles coming to drop off their passengers. (More people arrived later, as others left, so total attendance probably topped 100.) Taking off from the museum's function, several people carried signs calling Ratner a "con artist."

Mr. Oder has excellent (as always) complete coverage. Meanwhile, the objections to the Museum's honor of Mr. Ratner and the reverberations continue. Here is an email that one Boerum Hill resident sent to the museum yesterday:

To the Brooklyn Museum: I am a member as well as being a resident of Boerum Hill. I am very displeased to learn that you are honoring a man who proposes to do such lasting damage to our wonderful neighborhood. I may reconsider my membership when it comes time to renew it. Perhaps you will be in luck if either court decisions or the present recession destroys Ratner's plans. Then your neighboring members may be able to forgive this extraordinary error in judgment on your part.

No Land Grab also has photos from last night.

Brooklyn Museum Ratner Gala Continues to Stir Anger

Of all the events happening in Brooklyn tonight, one that will generate the most feeling among some people is the Brooklyn Museum Gala honoring developer Bruce Ratner. A protest has been organized and there have been angry letters circulating about the event, including an "open letter" to the Museum, which would seem to indicate that some of its members and supporters are upset. The letter said, in part: "I do not believe it is appropriate for a respected public institution like the Brooklyn Museum to be honoring Bruce Ratner...A museum should be a good neighbor to its community. You cannot be a good neighbor by promoting the activities of someone who is a bad neighbor, and worse, to the community."

From the museum's perspective, however, the Gala is a big-ticket institutional thank you to a major supporter. The museum refused to tell the Daily News how much Mr. Ratner has donated, but Atlantic Yards Report notes that IRS records show donations of $100,000 in each of 2005 and 2006 (with 2007 records not yet available) from the Forest City Ratner Companies Foundation. AYR writes:

Given that tables of 12 with premier seating at the gala are going for $50,000 to $75,000, and tables of ten range from $5000 to $25,000, it's a good bet that the honor for Ratner will draw significant sums. And it's not unlikely that Ratner and colleagues have made individual donations.

Clearly, tonight's even will raise millions for the museum. Meanwhile, Rachel Monahan and Jotham Sederstrom look at the Gala in today's Daily News. Here's an excerpt:

At least two museum trustees have close ties to Forest City Ratner, with Joanne Minieri acting as president of the development company and former museum director RobertRubin a Nets owner. "Bruce C. Ratner is being honored with the Augustus Graham Medal at the Brooklyn Museum's Ball in recognition of his longstanding support of this museum and art and cultural institutions throughout New York City," [Museum Spokesperson Sally] Williams said. "For nearly three decades, the Brooklyn Museum has awarded this honor to a distinguished group of individuals who have helped to sustain the arts in our community."

Meanwhile, photographer Tracey Collins, who is producing an invaluable historical record of photos of the Atlantic Yards footprint, writes of his dismay in participating in the museum's "Click!" exhibit:

In a nutshell, I'm very reluctant to participate in, let alone, promote what I believe to be a great concept when the board of the museum chooses to bestow an honor on a developer whose signature project would leave a lasting scar on Brooklyn's "changing face."

Kanye West is performing at tonight's event. Whether the controversy will blow over quickly or whether the bitter divisions of opinion about Atlantic Yards will spill over into the museum's community fund raising, membership and activities remains to be seen.

Atlantic Yards Eminent Domain Appeal Filed with Supreme Court

The 11 property owners and tenants fighting the use of eminent domain for the troubled Atlantic Yards project have filed an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. The petition asks the Court to hear the appeal of the eminent domain case, which was dismissed on February 1. Goldstein v. Pataki was originally filed in October 2006. The Atlantic Yards opponents argue that hearing the case "provides the Court with an important opportunity to address the appropriate constitutional limits on the government's power to seize private homes for the benefit of powerful real estate developers like Bruce Ratner. The group's legal argument is that there is only a "pretext of a public purpose" for taking land for Atlantic Yards via eminent domain where the "actual purpose" is "to bestow a private benefit." The full petition and other paperwork are here. The Court only accepts a handful of cases each year, but the group plans to pursue the legal fight in state court if the Supreme Court does not accept the case or if they lose. The state court process could delay any possible start of the project by an additional 1-2 years. More coverage at Curbed and Brownstoner.

An "Open Letter to the Brooklyn Museum"

The backlash over the Brooklyn Museum's Gala honoring developer Bruce Ratner continues. There will be protesters at the April 3 event, and today an "Open Letter to the Brooklyn Museum" went out and was posted on the DDDB website. Here are a couple of excerpts:

It is uncomfortable to step up and point out why it is inappropriate for the Museum to be "honoring" Ratner, but it is crucial...I do not believe it is appropriate for a respected public institution like the Brooklyn Museum to be honoring Bruce Ratner. To many of us this is obvious but I will explain the many reasons why. A museum should be a good neighbor to its community. You cannot be a good neighbor by promoting the activities of someone who is a bad neighbor, and worse, to the community....Terrible time for the Museum; excellent time for Ratner- From this we may infer that the decision to honor Ratner was not driven by the careful considered judgment of those Museum board members with the best interest of the Museum at heart, but rather by those on the board with business connections to Ratner exerting influence.

The lengthy, full letter is posted here.

Bklink: "Deeply Troubled"

There is a good chance that trouble is just starting for the Atlantic Yards project as public officials potentially take a fresh look at the development. Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries says he's "deeply troubled" by the Atlantic Yards Stall. “I’m deeply troubled by the notion of moving forward with an arena without a firm commitment to advance the affordable housing connected to the project,” he said. “I’m still firmly committed to the position that eminent domain should not be used to build a basketball arena and will articulate that position to Governor Paterson and his administration.”--AYR

Atlantic Yards "Unity" Model on Display

With the Atlantic Yards project suddenly very much on the ropes, alternate plans for the site are a bit more than simply of academic interest. Anyone that wants to see an alternative and is on Atlantic Avenue can check out the UNITY architectural model, which will be on display in the windows of the Atlantic Avenue Betterment Association at 321 Atlantic Avenue between Smith St and Hoyt St in Brooklyn. More info about the UNITY plan here.

Atlantic Yards Arena Costs Spelled Out

Among the many bombshells in the Times story about the Atlantic Yards Stall on Good Friday, was the fact that the cost of the area has nearly doubled to just shy of $1 billion. No Land Grab lays out the interesting price history:

The price tag of Bruce Ratner's controversial Brooklyn arena has been steadily rising since the project was first announced: starting at $435 million, tweaking upward to $555.3 million and then creeping up to $637.2 million when the project was officially approved. This week, Ratner gave no explanation to The NY Times when he divulged that the cost of the arena has ballooned to a whopping $950 million, more than twice the original projection and a figure suspiciously just shy of the magic $1 billion threshold. The cost of the arena has also mysteriously outpaced construction inflation in NYC, which is reported to be around 8%.

Is a $950 million single-sport arena financially viable? Stay tuned.

Atlantic Yards: Miss Brooklyn & Housing to Die as Arena Lives?

Late last night, we saw very interesting news in the Times about the Atlantic Yards development. In an interview, developer Bruce Ratner suggests that the economy and credit crisis could scuttle or delay everything in the Atlantic Yards project but the $950 million Nets basketball arena. The Times headline is "Slow Economy Likely to Stall Atlantic Yards." Here are a couple of key passages:

The slowing economy, weighed down by a widening credit crisis, is likely to delay the signature office tower and three residential buildings at the heart of the $4 billion Atlantic Yards project in Brooklyn, the developer said. “It may hold up the office building,” the developer, Bruce C. Ratner, said in a recent interview. “And the bond market may slow the pace of the residential buildings.”

Mr. Ratner, chief executive of Forest City Ratner, did not specify the kinds of delays possible, but suggested that construction could be put off for years. His comments are his first public indication that the darkening economy has slowed the ambitious project, spanning 22 acres at the intersection of Flatbush and Atlantic Avenues....Mr. Ratner insisted that the Brooklyn office market remained healthy, but he conceded that “until we get a tenant, we won’t start Miss Brooklyn.”

“It’s not going to happen in a nanosecond,” Mr. Ratner said during an interview across Atlantic Avenue from the railyard where he plans to build the arena. “I hope it’s not going to be drawn out. I’d hope that the first residential building will be done within six months of the opening of the arena, and a second one a year after that.”

Is it simply an extended timetable? Is Mr. Ratner looking for deeper public subsidies for the project? Will much of the project's affordable housing be tossed, which opponents have long predicted? Will he carve up the site and sell portions that are now being cleared to other developers? Will the land the state allowed to be cleared long before it would ever be developed sit fallow for years to come? There's an item about Nicolai Ourousoff's analysis below, including the conclusion that an area without Mr. Gehry's towers would be "urban blight" and that the process has been "a betrayal of the public trust." One can find the analysis on Atlantic Yards Report here. Also, No Land Grab has posted a list of bullet points from the story for easy digestion.