Before Quality of Life meeting tomorrow, some questions: Why was meeting delayed? What about the platform? What about Atlantic Yards CDC?

Update 4:45 pm: here's the agenda, which suggests Greenland USA will be absent and thus will avoid the big questions.

There's no agenda yet posted/circulated for belatedly-scheduled Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park Quality of Life meeting that will be held at 6 pm tomorrow and provide some updates on the project:

https://zoom.us/j/96256411661

Dial In: 646-558-8656 || Passcode: 962 5641 1661#
Meeting ID: 962 5641 1661

Project-related questions and suggested agenda items may be sent to atlanticyards@esd.ny.gov. Among other things, I'll ask why the previous meetings weren't held.

Such meetings were steadily held bi-monthly through September 2022, but meetings in November 2022 and then January 2023 were not scheduled, with no explanation. No 2023 schedule was released at the end of 2022.

They offer limited but sometimes useful transparency; the virtual nature of the meetings, since the pandemic, means that attendees can't tell who else is in the meeting, can't see others' questions (much less chat), and typically can't follow up on questions.

The failure to hold the meetings suggests--take your pick--a lack of capacity/responsibility on the part of Empire State Development (ESD, the state authority that oversees/shepherds the project), a willingness to accede to requests by the developer(s) for delays, and, perhaps, a desire to put things off to accommodate renegotiations of some sort.

As I wrote, by failing to schedule the Quality of Life meetings as well as the (purportedly) advisory Atlantic Yards Community Development Corporation (AY CDC) meetings--supposed to be held quarterly, but last held in June--New York State has kept big questions from getting answers.

Pending questions

One big question: why hasn't the long-pending platform over the Vanderbilt Yard started? Is it really an issue of permits? Or is developer Greenland Forest City Partners negotiating something?

Also, given that it now seems impossible that the developer can deliver the required 2,250 affordable housing units by May 2025--877 (or 876) remain to start--has Greenland asked for an extension, or in any way lobbied to avoid the $2,000/month penalties?

Or is there a grand proposal to revise the timetable and configuration of Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park?

Oh, and what about the required fines, due last May, for the never-built Urban Room, the atrium attached to Miss Brooklyn? If those haven't been collected, who decided that, and why?

Affordable lottery launch?

As I wrote 1/26/23, I suspect one topic, or announcement, may regard the launch of the lottery for the 240 "affordable" units at 595 Dean St. (B12/B13), scheduled to open in the spring, as well as a timetable for opening the building's market-rate units.  

I reported that, despite professed ignorance from master developer Greenland Forest City Partners and developer TF Cornerstone, documents show the units will be for middle-income households earning 130% of Area Median Income, which means most will earn more than $100,000. 

One question will be what rents TF Cornerstone will seek, since the maximum allowable rents under elevated 2022 guidelines could mean studios for $3,035, 1-BRs for $3,253, and 2-BRs for $3,903. (The guidelines for 2023, not yet released, could be higher.)  

But those rent levels surely are untenable, so it's a business calculation to set the rents.

What about the AY CDC?

When will another AY CDC meeting be scheduled? Are vacancies on the board being filled? 

As of this morning, there are only nine directors listed, out of 14 seats. That makes it harder to get a quorum.