In today’s “no kidding” moment, the New Jersey Nets have finally admitted that the Atlantic Yards arena won’t be ready for the 2009-2010 season. They’re now saying that the goal is to be in the venue sometime in 2010. Assuming, of course, that the way is legally cleared.–NYT

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Has it really been four years since Bruce Ratner changed the discussion about Brooklyn’s future and the political firmament itself? Yes, it has. On December 10, 2003, Mr. Ratner officially unveiled the Atlantic Yards proposal. He was joined at Borough Hall by Borough President Markowitz, Senator Charles Schumer, Mayor Micheal Bloomberg and Governor George Pataki. […]

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A lot of people and publications, including the New York Times, think that Walter O’Malley wanted to build new home for the Brooklyn Dodgers on the site proposed for the new Nets arena. Actually, if things had worked out, it would have gone where Bruce Ratner’s Atlantic Center Mall now sits. More to follow in […]

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Here’s a vid posted on YouTube a couple of days ago of the Council of Brooklyn Neighborhoods press conference calling for an independent security analysis of the project.

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[Photo via Jonathan Barkey/pBase] A broad-based group that includes local officials supporting the Atlantic Yards development renewed their call for an independent study of security at the planned arena at Flatbush and Atlantic Avenues. Citing a setback that is only 20 feet in some places, the officials said a full public airing of issues is […]

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A group of Brooklyn officials–including several that have supported the Atlantic Yards project–will be having a press conference today to further their call for an “independent security study” of the Atlantic Yards arena. The group includes State Senator Velmanette Montgomery, State Assembly Member Joan Millman, a representative of State Assembly Member Jim Brennan, City Council […]

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Whether one supports or opposes the Atlantic Yards project, an arena that ignores the threat of truck bombs and other terrorist attacks is far more than a planning blunder: it is a calculated and almost unthinkable act of public negligence. Bromides from city government that the security threat is under control and that the issue […]

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[Photo courtesy of threecee/flickr] We’re tempted to put caption, “Marty, did you fart?” under this, but we won’t. We will simply say that there is an entire Metrotech Christmas Tree Lighting photoset from last night’s ceremony.

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One has to love a mystery, and this particular one is fascinating. Someone told an anecdote the other night that a local politician set up a community group “with the express purpose of being bought out by Bruce Ratner.” Sounds like an interesting business model.–Atlantic Yards Report

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The wait is over. The Empire State Development Corporation has finally hired an ombudsperson to oversee the Atlantic Yards project. Atlantic Yards watchers point out (see image from No Land Grab) that it took 203 days from promise to announcement to get the ombudsperson on the job. The ombudsperson is Forrest Taylor. The ESDC’s press […]

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[Photo courtesy of luluinnyc/flickr] It’s the Christmas tree stand on Flatbush Avenue, standing this year amidst the emptiness of properties that have been demolished by Forest City Ratner.

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The Times ventures into Atlantic Yards land by looking at the issues of whether Brooklyn’s planned area will be vulnerable to terrorist truck bombs. It discovers the arena will be 20 feet from the street in places, the same distances as Newark’s new Prudential Center. In Newark, streets are now closed during events and it’s […]

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[Photo courtesy of dnblog1/flickr] We have always joked that Coney Island was the “Next Atlantic Yards.” As it turns out, among those opposing the city’s Coney Island proposal that came to the canceled meeting on Monday night were members of BUILD, the pro-Atlantic Yards group that signed the “Community Benefits Agreement” for the project and […]

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And, now, the latest flap surrounding Barclays Bank, which owns the naming rights to an Atlantic Yards area: “BARCLAYS is bankrolling President Robert Mugabe’s corrupt regime in Zimbabwe by providing substantial loans to cronies given land seized from white farmers. The British bank lent £750m to the country’s new landowning elite in the first half […]

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A challenge brought on behalf of 13 rental tenants challenging the Atlantic Yards relocation plan has been dismissed by a state Appellate Court. This is the second case regarding renters that would be displaced by the Atlantic Yards plan to be dismissed.–AYR

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[Photo via threecee/flickr] Anyone who hasn’t observed the level of activity in the Vanderbilt Rail Yards, which are intended to be part of the future site of the Atlantic Yards development, or checked in on the state of demolition work in neighboring Prospect Heights, will find that a great deal of work is being done. […]

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The legal battle against the massive Atlantic Yards continues and Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn, which has led the long fight is hosting a benefit with the grammy-winning band klezmer band the Klezmatics at the Brooklyn Lyceum on November 8. Kakande and the Demolition String Band, will also perform. Money raised by the concert will help […]

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[Photos courtesy of Jonathan Barkey/PBase] DDDB held its fourth annual fundraising Walkathon yesterday. This year’s edition took place in Prospect Heights and included a pre-walk press conference in which organizers and neighborhood leaders called on the state to hold hearings on security and terrorism threats to the the planned arena in light of information about […]

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As you may have read, officials in Newark have concluded that their new Prudential Center is extremely vulnerable to terrorism. This is because the glass-clad structure is next to active streets. The conclusion was reached two weeks before the arena is scheduled to open and officials are now scrambling to close streets, including ones that […]

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“Walk Don’t Destroy,” the Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn Walkathon Fundraiser is coming up tomorrow, October 14. It takes place from Noon-5PM, with registration at Noon and the walk from 1PM-2:30PM. This year, the walk will take place in Prospect Heights. Registration and Kick-Off is at Freddy’s Backroom, 485 Dean Street @ 6th Ave. The walk […]

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There was a hearing yesterday before a panel of three judges of the Second Circuit Appellate Court about the Atlantic Yards eminent domain case. Atlantic Yards Report’s Norman Oder described the judges as “engaged but skeptical” and noted the argument ran beyond the allotted time. At issue is whether the eminent domain suit, which was […]

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“Walk Don’t Destroy,” the Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn Walkathon Fundraiser is coming up this Sunday, October 14. It takes place from Noon-5PM, with registration at Noon and the walk from 1PM-2:30PM. This year, the walk will take place in Prospect Heights. Registration and Kick-Off is at Freddy’s Backroom, 485 Dean Street @ 6th Ave. The […]

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Just a reminder that “Walk Don’t Destroy,” the Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn Walkathon Fundraiser is coming up on Sunday, October 14. It will take place from Noon-5PM, with registration at Noon and the walk from 1PM-2:30PM. This year, the walk will take place in Prospect Heights. Registration and Kick-Off is at Freddy’s Backroom, 485 Dean […]

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So, how would Frank Gehry’s story about naming Miss Brooklyn–his Atlantic Yards tower–read if it were translated from its Japanese version back into English by an auto-translation program? No Land Grab did and the results are funny. A sample: All these motley colors, all these sincere Victoria type construction, took his starry night recollected a […]

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Okay, the Barclays Center wouldn’t be in the front yard of this little yellow house on Dean Street, it would be across the street. Actually, one of the tall buildings attached to the arena would be across from across the street from this little 474 Dean. We’ve seen these kinds of juxtapositions before, but in […]

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