From the New York Post: Vanderbilt Avenue: Prospect Heights' destination for foodies and booze hounds: Indeed, at least eight new bars and restaurants have popped up on the Brooklyn boulevard in the last two years alone.(NY Post map adapted by No Land Grab)
Obviously the "blight" on the AY site above Dean Street west of Vanderbilt is not deterring development.
And on Sixth Avenue
From the Brooklyn Paper:
In a town full of mediocre burgers, the discovery of a new favorite is somewhat akin to waiting less than an eternity for the G train — a rare occasion. Enter the Agoulou, the West Indian-style burger at three-week-old French-Guadeloupian eatery Kaz An Nou in Prospect Heights and a very possible new favorite.The restaurant is at 53 Sixth Avenue, just below Dean Street, the border of the Atlantic Yards footprint.
Again, the "blight" doesn't seem to be much of a deterrent.
Yes, using the ambiguity of the blight designation to seize private property is a time-worn trick of ESDC's. But the courts are beginning to take note of eminent domain abuse and particularly the specious claim of blight needed to use eminent domain. The NYS Appellate Court (second to highest court in the state) just struck down eminent domain in the Columbia University expansion project(Columbia is expanding its campus into Harlem), stating "The designation of blight in the instant case is mere sophistry." Also, in the Columbia case, as in the AY case, there was collusion between the city and the developer. Of course, Columbia is appealing the decision so the struggle continues.
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