When I wrote recently about blight, the removal of which was a purported rationale for Atlantic Yards and which is the subject of a March 6 panel sponsored by the Municipal Art Society, I neglected to point to the glaring failure to remove the "blight" of the Vanderbilt Yard, used to store and service Long Island Rail Road trains.
For a project announced in December 2003, approved in 2006, and re-approved in 2009, well, it may not be done until 2035.
Flashback: those reading a 4/16/12 New York Times article, Impact of Atlantic Yards, for Good or Ill, Is Already Felt, focusing on new retail, might have been led to think the issue was resolved:
But Forest City hadn’t removed the blight nor healed the “scar” justifying eminent domain. It hadn't even paid for the railyard development rights.
The project's justification
To quote the 2006 Modified General Project Plan and the 2009 Modified General Project Plan, which officially describe Atlantic Yards:
About that railyard
The single largest property parcel, by far, said to be blighted was the Vanderbilt Yard. Many have called that designation dubious, given that development likely would've proceeded had the city and state simply pushed for a public process--but they didn't.
Development there requires a costly deck. I reported back in October 2012 that, despite public documents indicating that development would proceed east from the arena in roughly clockwise fashion, with buildings over the railyard coming before buildings on the southeast block, then-Forest City Ratner CEO MaryAnne Gilmartin said, that "we have seven buildings that we will build before we commence construction on any platform buildings."
That meant three towers on the arena block, plus four on the southeast block. And that, most likely was their plan all along, telegraphed in a February 2005 Memorandum of Understanding (see p. 20) with the city and state. That also would mean the open space would come last.
What now
Now, after multiple changes in ownership, that seems valid: four towers have been built, two around the arena and two on the southeast block. (See map.) A third tower around the arena (B4, 18 Sixth) should start within a few months, while the two additional towers on the southeast block (B12, B13) should start next year.
But that doesn't mean platform building will come next. B15 (aka 664 Pacific or 662 Pacific) also is starting across from the arena block between Dean and Pacific streets. And we've long expected ambitious plans for the last site on terra firma, Site 5, currently home to Modell's and P.C. Richard.
We don't know how long the whole project will take, since developer Greenland Forest City Partners hasn't offered--or been pressed on--a timetable. But we do know they have until 2035 to finish the project--deck, towers, open space--and thus finally effectuate the blight removal.
For a project announced in December 2003, approved in 2006, and re-approved in 2009, well, it may not be done until 2035.
Flashback: those reading a 4/16/12 New York Times article, Impact of Atlantic Yards, for Good or Ill, Is Already Felt, focusing on new retail, might have been led to think the issue was resolved:
For Forest City Ratner, the developer of the project, which was strongly backed by many city leaders, the changes are evidence that the arena has already met its goal of transforming a dreary section of Brooklyn — the Long Island Rail Road’s rail yards and surrounding industrial buildings, which the company’s spokesman described as “ a scar that divided the neighborhood.”(Emphases added)
But Forest City hadn’t removed the blight nor healed the “scar” justifying eminent domain. It hadn't even paid for the railyard development rights.
The project's justification
To quote the 2006 Modified General Project Plan and the 2009 Modified General Project Plan, which officially describe Atlantic Yards:
The principal goal of the Atlantic Yards Land Use Improvement and Civic Project is to transform an area that is blighted and underutilized into a vibrant, mixed-use, mixed-income community that capitalizes on the tremendous mass transit service available at this unique location. In addition to eliminating the blighting influence of the below-grade Yard and the blighted conditions of the area, the Project aims, through this comprehensive and cohesive plan, to provide for the following public uses and purposes...It then listed "a publicly owned state-of-the-art arena," "thousands of critically needed rental housing units," "first-class office space and possibly a hotel," "publicly accessible open space," "new ground level retail space," "community facility spaces," "a state-of-the-art rail storage, cleaning and inspection facility," "a subway connection on the south side of Atlantic Avenue," "sustainability and green design," and "environmental remediation of the Project Site."
About that railyard
The single largest property parcel, by far, said to be blighted was the Vanderbilt Yard. Many have called that designation dubious, given that development likely would've proceeded had the city and state simply pushed for a public process--but they didn't.
Development there requires a costly deck. I reported back in October 2012 that, despite public documents indicating that development would proceed east from the arena in roughly clockwise fashion, with buildings over the railyard coming before buildings on the southeast block, then-Forest City Ratner CEO MaryAnne Gilmartin said, that "we have seven buildings that we will build before we commence construction on any platform buildings."
That meant three towers on the arena block, plus four on the southeast block. And that, most likely was their plan all along, telegraphed in a February 2005 Memorandum of Understanding (see p. 20) with the city and state. That also would mean the open space would come last.
What now
Now, after multiple changes in ownership, that seems valid: four towers have been built, two around the arena and two on the southeast block. (See map.) A third tower around the arena (B4, 18 Sixth) should start within a few months, while the two additional towers on the southeast block (B12, B13) should start next year.
But that doesn't mean platform building will come next. B15 (aka 664 Pacific or 662 Pacific) also is starting across from the arena block between Dean and Pacific streets. And we've long expected ambitious plans for the last site on terra firma, Site 5, currently home to Modell's and P.C. Richard.
We don't know how long the whole project will take, since developer Greenland Forest City Partners hasn't offered--or been pressed on--a timetable. But we do know they have until 2035 to finish the project--deck, towers, open space--and thus finally effectuate the blight removal.
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