The election of de Blasio as NYC mayor is all about change, except when it comes to Atlantic Yards; will new mayor speed subsidies?

The election of Democratic mayor Bill de Blasio is all about change, a huge swing from the era of Mayor Mike Bloomberg, press outlets uniformly assure us.

When it comes to Atlantic Yards, however, the policy is likely to change little: de Blasio, like Bloomberg, is an unswerving supporter of the delayed megaproject, no matter how much he's said "mistakes were made." In fact, de Blasio may become even more of booster, as he's pledged to speed the construction of 15 more towers--many containing "affordable housing" but actually a larger amount of market-rate housing.

In fact, given de Blasio's failure, while Public Advocate, to use any of the rhetorical sticks in his arsenal to criticize, say, developer Forest City Ratner's failure to hire the promised Independent Compliance Monitor for the Community Benefits Agreement, it's not unlikely Mayor de Blasio will use the financial carrots now at his disposal, offering more subsidies or other benefits to achieve the results he wants.

The consensus in the press

From the New York Times, De Blasio Is Elected New York City Mayor in Landslide:

Bill de Blasio, who transformed himself from a little-known occupant of an obscure office into the fiery voice of New York’s disillusionment with a new gilded age, was elected the city’s 109th mayor on Tuesday.
His landslide victory, stretching from the working-class precincts of central Brooklyn to the suburban streets of southeast Queens, amounted to a forceful rejection of the hard-nosed, business-minded style of governance that reigned at City Hall for the past two decades and a sharp leftward turn for the nation’s largest metropolis.

From the New York Daily News, Bill de Blasio elected mayor of New York City: In a landslide victory, Bill de Blasio crushed Republican rival Joe Lhota, becoming New York City's 109th mayor. He will also become the first Democrat to hold the office in 20 years.:

Riding a ravenous desire by voters for change, Bill de Blasio scored a crushing victory over Republican Joe Lhota Tuesday to become New York’s 109th mayor — and the first Democrat to hold the office in 20 years.
With 97% of the precincts reporting, de Blasio held a commanding lead of 74% to 24% — the largest margin of victory by a nonincumbent in any mayor’s race in city history.
...Nearly seven out of 10 voters said the city needed to move in a new direction from Bloomberg’s policies, according to the survey conducted by Edison Research. And among those wanting change, de Blasio triumphed, capturing 85% of their votes.

From the New York Post, De Blasios celebrate victory with Smackdown Dance:

New Yorkers handed Bill de Blasio a landslide mandate in his bid to take the city in a sharply different direction after 20 years of Republican mayors.
The victory was never in doubt — the Democrat was projected to be the 109th mayor barely a minute after voting closed, with exit polls showing him beating Republican Joe Lhota across virtually all political, ideological and ethnic lines.
The public advocate and former councilman held a commanding 74-24 percent lead with 88 percent of the votes counted.
“Make no mistake — the people of this city have chosen a progressive path,” de Blasio, his family at his side, declared at a packed victory party inside the Park Slope Armory.
He added that voters had chosen to alter paths from the Bloomberg era, “united by a belief that our city should leave no New Yorker behind.”

From the Wall Street Journal, De Blasio Elected Next New York City Mayor in Landslide: First Democrat to Win City Hall Since David Dinkins in 1989:

Bill de Blasio won a lopsided victory in the race for New York City mayor on Tuesday night after running a populist campaign that promised New Yorkers a clear break from Mayor Michael Bloomberg's administration. He is the first Democrat to capture City Hall in 24 years.
...More than two-thirds of voters said they wanted the incoming mayor to move the city in a different direction from Mr. Bloomberg, the exit poll said, and 86% of those who felt that way voted for Mr. de Blasio.
In front of cheering supporters at his campaign party in a Brooklyn YMCA, Mr. de Blasio said New Yorkers "spoke out loudly and clearly for a new direction for our city, united by a belief that our city should leave no New Yorker behind."

From the Associated Press, in Bill de Blasio elected mayor of New York; first Democrat to win since the 1980s:

Bill de Blasio was elected New York City’s first Democratic mayor in two decades Tuesday, posting a potentially record landslide victory while running on an unabashedly liberal, tax-the-rich platform that contrasted sharply with billionaire Michael Bloomberg’s record during 12 years in office.