The Third Way
The Municipal Art Society and eight neighborhood or civic groups carved out the "moderate" position on Atlantic Yards when it launched the BrooklynSpeaks website last night. They suggest, in an indirect way, that scaling down the housing-and-arena complex by one-third or one-half would be enough. Develop--Don't Destroy Brooklyn is still not happy, but on balance, this is much worse news for the developer, Forest City Ratner. Introducing a more polite way to oppose something will just mean more opposition.
-Matthew Schuerman
Guys, the issue is done. Ratner has done his deal to shrink the project along the lines that Marty Markowitz outlined. He still hasn't committed to that but will to make the deal with Muni Art Scoiety hob-nobbers. Incidentally, MAS boss Kent Barwick was landmarks chairman in the koch administration when Ratner was consumer affairs commissioner. The DEAL IS DONE!
I agree with Stuck. It's not the details of the "compromise" that matters. It's with whom you make the "compromise." Schmucky reporters will call it a compromise when it really the dirtbags at MAS sold Brooklyn down the tubes just like they've done in other neighborhoods. It's called astroturf. Will someone explain that to the Observer reporters.
(not affiliated with DDDB).
see y'all in court.