At AY CDC meeting, update on middle school (2024?), and staff mystery. No news on Times Plaza open space or traffic study. Key ESD exec has left.

Regarding yesterday's brief meeting of the (purportedly advisory) Atlantic Yards Community Development Corporation (AY CDC), I wrote separately about discussion of platform construction and potential less affordable housing.

A few other issues were discussed.

Presenter Tobi Jaiyesimi, who serves as the parent Empire State Development's (ESD) Atlantic Yards Project Director as well as AY CDC Executive Director, said, regarding the planned middle school, the last update she received from the School Construction Authority is that it's expected to open for academic year 2024.

Well maybe, maybe not. The SCA's latest five-year Capital Plan, updated in February 2022, indicates that the school should open in March 2025. That is the 2024-25 academic year, but it's well past the halfway mark.

So either Jaiyesimi's estimate is wrong or the SCA's Capital Plan is too conservative.

Budget questions, staff mystery

Upon approval of the entity's budget, Jaiyesimi was asked by directors who the other staff person was. She cited Greg Lynch, "who walks the perimeter" of the project and "also takes a look from the community's perspective."

Are his reports covered in community engagement meetings, asked director Cy Richardson.

"No, his reports are shared with the project team," Jaiyesimi said.

Are the Quality of Life meetings where those issues are resolved, he asked. 

No, those are designed to provide a general update on the project, and to be shaped by questions from the community.

From ESD

In other words, it's a bit of a mystery. 

(Also a mystery is why ESD passes on, without checking, dishonest two-week Construction Updates that misreport after-hours work and seems unable to deliver notes from Quality of Life meetings within two months, by the time of the next meeting, as shown in the screenshot at right,)

If there is a change in the project--a reference to the pending plan to transfer bulk of the unbuilt "Miss Brooklyn" (B1) from the arena block across Flatbush Avenue to Site 5--and there's a need for extensive public engagement, how would that be funded, asked director Gib Veconi.

If there's a need to amend the budget, it would be covered by the cost agreement with the developer to fund the AY CDC, Jaiyesimi said.

Times Plaza

Veconi also asked about planned work to create open space at Times Plaza, at the intersection of Flatbush, Fourth, and Atlantic avenue. He said that, according to his understanding, the Department of Transportation is awaiting engineering drawings from Greenland Forest City Partners

Jaiyesimi said the developers and DOT are in discussion and "working through" a number of factors.

"I just I want to point out that these drawings have been expected for years," he said.

Jaiyesimi said no. "The drawings haven't been expected for years because there's been ongoing engagement with DOT about the issue," she said. "The process has taken some time, but it's through coordination with DOT."

Either way, it's way behind. "The Times Plaza is pending DOT approval and coordination with the necessary city agencies and utility infrastructure that would be impacted by the work," ESD said last December, responding to a question I'd posed in April.

Traffic study coming?

Veconi asked about the traffic study required once 1,500 units in the project have Temporary Certificates of Occupancy.

"We are in discussion with both the developer and with DOT on that issue, and once an update is available, we'll be sure to share that," Jaiyesimi said.

"My understanding is DOT hasn't received the scope for that traffic study yet--is that correct?" Veconi asked.

"That's correct," Jaiyesimi responded.

That's interesting, because we were told last August, "The Developer is working with Department of Transportation on the required traffic study. The scope of work for the study is defined by the Atlantic Yards Project’s Memorandum of Environmental Commitments [MEC], and the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statements [FSEIS]."

Personnel changes

Jaiyesimi said that Marion Phillips III, the President of the AY CDC and ESD's longtime Senior VP for Community Relations, "has transitioned" from ESD.

She didn't offer details, but his LinkedIn profile indicates that last month he left ESD to become the 

SVP Community Development and DEI at U.S. News and World Report.

Given that Phillips took the (often aggressive) lead in defending the developer from questions--such as as saying "I'm not trying to put them in a position so that we can play gotcha" regarding the timetable to deliver required affordable housing--it will be interesting to see who takes that role.

Jaiyesimi also said that Lee Warshavsky, the mayoral appointee from Prospect Heights (and an ally of Veconi on the Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council), had resigned.

Attending the meeting were Acting Chair Tamara McCaw, Julene Beckford, Drew Gabriel, Daniel Kummer, Cy Richardson, Ethel Tyus, Gib Veconi, and Deborah Young.