Catching up: Powell on Ratner; permit parking; Lipsky talks; new arena sponsors

New York Times Gotham columnist Michael Powell yesterday, 9/25/12, Mayor’s Tale of Recovery Hasn’t Been Reality for Some:

New York’s leaders and titans are a wonderfully self-congratulatory lot. To listen to them and watch their posturing, you might guess that the recession was a summer thunderhead long ago blown out to sea.
There’s the ubiquitous Bruce C. Ratner, the developer who convinced New Yorkers to deeply subsidize his new luxury arena in Downtown Brooklyn without so far having produced a single apartment of the affordable housing he promised. He draws loud cheers from the artisanal-cheese-munching, Russian-oligarch-digging, Jay-Z-loving, “Please, please boost my property values” set.

Parking

The New York Daily News today publishes Barclays Center residential parking permit plan nixed by state lawmakers in surrounding neighborhoods, which quotes various elected officials but neglects to get developer Forest City Ratner's position or explain that the official arena partner for prepaid parking, Click and Park, does not have the promised number of spaces available.

Corruption

The New York Times today publishes Anticipating Fallout From Lobbyist’s Legal Cooperation:

Now, it seems probable that the list [of corrupt officials] will grow: Richard J. Lipsky, a well-known city and state lobbyist convicted of bribing former State Senator Carl Kruger, has been secretly cooperating with the federal authorities, suggesting that other elected officials could soon find themselves in trouble with the law.

...Mr. Lipsky was a regular presence in the Capitol and in City Hall in Manhattan, his Bluetooth device seemingly permanently attached to his ear. He built a reputation as a lobbyist for the underdog, waging public battles with large corporations like Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and powerful developers.

His clients in recent years have included the Red Apple Group, which operates the Gristedes supermarket chain, and the developer Forest City Ratner, and he gave tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions to officials at the city and state levels.

Does this mean he'd implicate Forest City or local officials involved with Atlantic Yards. I doubt the former, and have no idea about the latter.

Sponsors

SportsProMedia, 9/26/12, Barclays Center signs new deals ahead of opening:

Ahead of the venue's opening night on 28th September, Applebee's, McDonald's, New York Lottery, Party City, Reese's, Robert Mondavi Wines, W.B. Mason, and Appollo Jets have all signed deals and have become members of the Barclays Center Business Alliance.

....B. Mason will be the official sponsor of the of the new arena's suite rental programme and the will provide furniture for the suites themselves. The company will also become the official office supply company of the Nets.

Applebee's will become the presenting partner of the arena's basketball ticketing plan; Party City will become the official party and Halloween store of the arena and the tram and will get branding rights to the game tip-offs; while Apollo Jets will have branding of the visiting team locker room and performer dressing rooms.

The deals are all likely to be in the five and six-figure range.