Is something brewing? Atlantic Yards Community Development Corp. meeting set for Wednesday, two months after previous one. No agenda yet.

Is something brewing regarding Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park with Empire State Development (ESD), the state authority that oversees/shepherds the project?

Maybe.

Less than two months after the previous meeting of the advisory Atlantic Yards Community Development Corporation (AY CDC), which is supposed to meet quarterly but has not kept to that schedule, an AY CDC meeting has been set for Wednesday, March 20 at 3 pm.

No agenda has surfaced yet--I'll follow up when it's posted--so we don't know if this indicates that parent ESD is looking for feedback on, or a rubber stamp for, any project proposals, such as a revised state posture toward the six development parcels scheduled for a foreclosure sale on April 30.

That means discussion of the $2,000/month liquidated damages due--or not?--for the 876 (or 877) units of affordable housing not delivered by May 2025. 

Or, perhaps, a new project-specific synthetic substitute for the 421-a tax break that has, for example, re-enabled construction in Gowanus.

Or--total speculation--whether master developer Greenland USA has walked away from the project.

Or, perhaps, just something boilerplate.

(I wouldn't imagine that ESD is ready to report back on its monitoring of EB-5 investments.)

Meeting details

Despite requests that such meetings be held in Brooklyn, where members of the public might attend more easily--even if it's a weekday--the Atlantic Yards Community Development Corporation Directors Meeting will again be held in Manhattan.

The location is ESD offices at 633 Third Avenue – 37th Floor Conference Room.

The meeting is open to the public.

Due to (purported) building procedures, those attending in-person should RSVP by 4:30 pm on Tuesday, March 19. Members of the press should call (800) 260-7313; Members of the public should call (212) 803-3795.

The public may listen to the meeting via webcast by clicking the link here.

Public comment

Members of the public may submit comments on the Agenda items in writing to AYCDCBdMtg@esd.ny.gov by 3 pm on Tuesday, March 19, 2024. 

The problem, of course, is that the Agenda doesn't exist yet. 

Even if it surfaces at some time Monday, the beginning of the work week, that leaves little time to contemplate a typically vague agenda and formulate a clairvoyant comment.

Those attending in person are allowed to comment in real time, however.

All comments received by the deadline will be distributed to the Directors prior to the meeting and will be posted online.