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Showing posts from December, 2021

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Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park infographics: what's built/what's coming/what's missing, who's responsible, + project FAQ/timeline (pinned post)

Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park in 2021: questions persist over timetable, accountability; new branding for towers; "affordable" = middle-income; arena claims promo space; Nets (& unvaxxed star) make headlines

My 2021 preview  focused on question marks regarding the project timeline, the future of Site 5, the affordability of new housing, and overall accountability, plus the re-opening of the Barclays Center.  Most of those question marks persisted, and some answers we got were dismaying. A 2021 surprise: new neon signage (+new sponsor) Though construction proceeded steadily on four towers, doubts mount regarding crucial aspects of the project, notably the two-phase platform over the two-block Vanderbilt Yard, a precursor to six towers and completion of the project, including the 8 acres of open space. And that shadows developer Greenland Forest City Partners' professed--and diminishing--path to meeting the May 2025 deadline for 2,250 units of affordable housing.  We got some belated information--no thanks to the developers or the state overseers--about the affordability of the next two towers, B15 (662 Pacific St.) and B4 (18 Sixth Ave.): all affordable units will be aimed at middle-cla

After 15 weeks (+ 6 weeks), ESD posts meeting notes; no update on Times Plaza open space, head-in-sand re "affordable" levels at 18 Sixth

Well, they made it just under the annual line. About two days ago, Empire State Development--the state authority that oversees/shepherds Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park--finally posted meeting notes (bottom) from the 9/14/21 and 11/16/21 Quality of Life meetings--delays of more than 15 weeks and six weeks, respectively. (Similarly, I  wrote  8/31/21 that Empire State Development had finally  posted  promised notes (bottom) from the bi-monthly Quality of Life meetings 5/11/21 and 7/13/21. When notes are not available for the subsequent meeting, that further dimishes dialogue.) Why should it take that long for this relatively minimal governmental responsibility to be fulfilled? Are they having every line vetted by legal counsel? These documents can potentially be important, since they're supposed to contain not merely summaries of the topics discussed but also answers to questions raised but not answered. The answers, however, are limited, in both cases. Sept. 14 meeting Q: Has the deci