That was former Forest City Ratner executive Ashley Cotton, who's still working on Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park government relations (I think) as an executive at L&L MAG.I'm surprised too... but Amazon hadn't bought a money-losing basketball team it had to move to Brooklyn or a deal it had to revise post-recession (or purportedly blighted land to be acquired via eminent domain)— Norman Oder (@AYReport) February 14, 2019
Amazon had invested relatively little in Long Island City. Not only did it not have a team it had to move, it hadn't started buying land, sometimes at inflated prices and with money borrowed at high interest rates. So it had much less pressure to close the deal.
Thing is: had Amazon gone ahead with its campus, it likely could have--as shown by the Atlantic Yards example--revised the deal more than once. However, as indicated in some news coverage, it wasn't simply the backlash against subsidies and opacity--not atypical in New York City but exacerbated by the project's size--but also Amazon-specific criticisms such as its record on unions, its work with ICE, and its monopoly-approaching business practices.
Staying the course?
Rosen, of course, operates the major public relations shop BerlinRosen, which works on Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park and also for Mayor Bill de Blasio. (Here's how BerlinRosen, seemingly acting on behalf of both clients, orchestrated a response to my January 2015 op-ed warning against holding the 2016 Democratic National Convention at the Barclays Center.)Bruce / MAG > Jeff cc the 20 people who will understand this tweet https://t.co/CVX93goRPE— Jonathan Rosen (@JonathanRosenBR) February 14, 2019
He seems to be saying that Forest City Ratner/Forest City New York executives Bruce Ratner and MaryAnne Gilmartin--um, his clients--were superior to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos in staying the course. As noted above, they had different incentives, and constraints.
Was Rosen indirectly signaling, not without reason, that Amazon should have been smarter about hiring local pros before the Long Island City rollout? Indeed, Amazon, without the local track record that Forest City had, needed local advice even more than Ratner did.
The impact
You mean this Klingon Battlestar that landed in Park Slope?— John Massengale (@jmassengale) February 14, 2019
10 years later, the developers and the state still haven’t met many of their contractual agreements with the neighborhood. @BklynSpeaks @AYReport pic.twitter.com/igzOXiC2cj
I didn't respond on Twitter, but, yes, the visual impact is significant, but that's not the most important metric, since the skyline not that far away has and will change more dramatically.I would say it’s visual impact has been huge.— John Massengale (@jmassengale) February 14, 2019
After all, if the project had been built as approved, there'd be a huge tower looming over the Barclays Center. Instead, that bulk is likely to shift to Site 5 across Flatbush Avenue.
The process
Indeed, the use of Empire State Development (ESD), formally known as the Urban Development Corporation (UDC), insulates the project from City Council review, under ULURP, the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure. That said, while ULURP does provide some more legitimacy, it is hardly a sober planning process and more typically leads to tweaks rather than changes.Might be a while before the next time a #NewYork governor and mayor pitch a private #economicDevelopment partner by offering to bypass public review. #AmazonHQ2 #EndUDC https://t.co/gdV9iOWvOZ— Gib Veconi (@GibVeconi) February 14, 2019
It's notable that Veconi, recently named to the advisory Atlantic Yards Community Development Corporation, is criticizing ESD, which is the parent of the advisory board and the subject of its advice.
Blaming the gentrifiers?
Veconi's right that it's a distraction, but there's some anecdotal (and fuzzy statistical) backup. That said, polls depend very much on the exact phrasing of the questions.Public reaction to @Amazon #HQ2 deja vu for #AtlanticYards veterans: citywide support, local opposition; local fight portrayed as schism between long-time residents and new arrivals. Moves focus away from question of economic equity. https://t.co/FExwdhOSTT— Gib Veconi (@GibVeconi) February 13, 2019
For example, tenant leaders of public housing complexes in Western Queens came out in favor of the project, while activists canvassing within those complexes colleged many signatures in opposition. Is either example dispositive? No.
Similarly, civic groups in Long Island City were opposed, while business leaders in favor. Also not dispositive.
Update: this morning's discussion
@WNYC @MorningEdition @ChristRobbins says @amazon #HQ2 different from #AtlanticYards since #BarclaysCenter was built, but many public commitments left unrealized 15 years after its announcement like #affordablehousing, #openspace.
— Gib Veconi (@GibVeconi) February 15, 2019
Yes, but also contrasts... different project (sports team as lure), closer to aftermath of 9/11 (lingering fears re NYC revival), a developer with local track record/political ties, a pre-cooked (but terribly flawed) deal for community buy-in (#affordablehousing, jobs)
— Norman Oder (@AYReport) February 15, 2019
Would argue that appointment of @SenGianaris to PACB shows how much political climate has changed since 2003. The developers were insulated from "fierce community opposition" by UDC, with governor, mayor and leaders of both houses of legislature in lock step.
— Gib Veconi (@GibVeconi) February 15, 2019
And more#AtlanticYards promise:10K office jobs &4500 units of housing, 1/2 affordable
— Norman Oder (@AYReport) February 15, 2019
Then most office space swapped4condos
Delays (lawsuits, market), renegotiation, sale of components... delays. Diminished benefits
Lesson: lock down/monitor promises
&/Or: approve only buildable projects
alternate view...
— Norman Oder (@AYReport) February 16, 2019
+different circumstances, as I wrote: https://t.co/aQDDDB8vPZ https://t.co/wI0RqYxSzw
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