Atlantic Yards Approval Could Be Delayed By Impact Statement Snafu

The Empire State Development Corporation announced on Monday it had to delay the final environmental impact statement (FEIS) for the Atlantic Yards project. It seems, according to a release from corporation Chairman Charles Gargano, that some public comments were not included in the FEIS. It was presented to the ESDC board on Nov. 15.

"All comments inadvertently excluded from the FEIS are being carefully considered," Gargano said. "The FEIS will be amended to include the substantive comments that had been omitted and responses to those comments, and re-presented to the ESDC board for consideration."

What does this mean, exactly? While the Atlantic Yards project looked likely to float toward approval by both the ESDC and the state Public Authorities Control Board before New Year's (and the start of Eliot Spitzer's reign in Albany), the delay on the environmental impact statement could drag the approval process at least into 2007.

The statement, according to a spokesperson for the ESDC, will have to go before the corporation's board again.