CBA signatories seek federal stimulus money for AY; ESDC flatly says project is not "shovel-ready"

In this week's issue of the Courier-Life chain, Stephen Witt, who in the past has found Atlantic Yards Community Benefit Agreement (CBA) signatories calling project opponents "the real-land-grabbers", now finds two, not unpredictably, suggesting that Atlantic Yards should get a share of the federal stimulus money.

The article quotes James Caldwell of the job-training group BUILD (Brooklyn United for Innovative Local Development):
"The way it [stimulus money] is being proposed is that it will go through the government and they will give it to unions and not to community based organizations that train and prepare people in our community," he added.

I don't think the plan is to give the money to unions.

(The article is not yet online.)

"Shovel-ready"?

The article continued:
Rep. Yvette Clarke, whose district includes the 22-acre project footprint, said stimulus money going toward the project is a possibility, but must go through the city and state, and not her office.

But that requires "shovel-ready projects" and, guess what, ESDC spokeswoman Lisa Willner said AY is not shovel-ready.

And Forest City Ratner officials refused comment.

That's not to say AY couldn't become shovel-ready at some point (Round 2 of the stimulus?) but it's notable that, rather than deferring comment on a sticky issue, ESDC was declarative.

That was the real news here.