Proving the Parks investment; yes, document shows that Forest City (initial developer) put $1M into the Dean Street Playground

We'd already been told, but it is worth seeing proof that the developer of Atlantic Yards--before it was renamed Pacific Park--did in fact fulfill a small but not unimportant part of the project requirements.

I raised the issue in July, noting that, as I wrote in March 2018, the project Development Agreement with Empire State Development, the state authority that oversees/shepherds the project, states that "prior to the Substantial Completion of Phase II," which is May 12, 2035, the developer (now Greenland Forest City Partners) "shall collectively invest (or shall cause to be invested)" a total of $3 million in the aggregate, for the improvement of existing parks near and around the project site.

Within that total, $1 million must be invested before the "Outside Phase I Substantial Completion Date," which is 5/12/22, 12 years after the Project Effective Date, again subject to Unavoidable Delays.

As I wrote, if the $1.25 million-plus earlier pledged by original developer Forest City Ratner for the Dean Street Playground comfort station counts, well, they've already met that requirement. 

But that was never addressed, nor confirmed. I subsequently reported that yes, a representative of Greenland USA (which owns nearly all of Greenland Forest City Partners) confirmed that it had been spent on the comfort station.

Documentary confirmation

 

And I recently got the document below from Empire State Development, dated 2/27/14, thanks to a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request.

"The Phase I Existing Parks Investment has been made, as evidenced by the documents attached hereto as Exhibit A," wrote Forest City's (then) Senior VP David Berliner in what was deemed an Officer's Certificate.

The supporting documenation cites the contract amount, and the amount paid, for the Dean Street Comfort Station, including design, engineering, signage, and construction. There are no canceled checks or other documents, but the details are convincing--and the comfort station was indeed constructed.

Is every document this detailed? We'll see.

Going forward

And what about the a total of $3 million by 2035? Well, they have a while. 

Would the much-delayed work revamping Times Plaza, which was required as a mitigation under the 2014 Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement qualify? I doubt it, but we'll see.