This watchdog blog, by journalist Norman Oder, concerns the $6B project to build the Barclays Center arena & 15-16 towers at a crucial site in Brooklyn. Dubbed Atlantic Yards by developer Forest City Ratner in 2003, it was rebranded Pacific Park Brooklyn in 2014 after the Chinese government-owned Greenland USA bought a 70% stake going forward. In 2018, once the arena & four towers were built, Greenland bought out most of Forest City's stake, then sold three leases to other companies.
Congratulations on getting this piece into the Huffington Post, Norman. We need more national attention on eminent domain abuse, and you are taking key steps.
ReplyDeleteI hope that in later accounts you will emphasize differences between the Moses era and today. One important difference is that in the Moses era, the money came from the government, including the federal government, and the government used eminent domain for its own purposes. Today it is well-funded private developers controlling government action, and the government giving private developers the power of eminent domain.
Yes, congrats Norman on the HuffPo piece. Speaking of which, today's "Battle for Brooklyn" HuffPo blurb (under the Local New York tab) already has a few humdinger email reactions, featuring comments like "the area's a dump." Amazes me that people remain so ignorant on this issue >> proving one of your hypotheses, the media has indeed shaped public opinion and reaction to this ill-advised project.
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