Are Atlantic Yards changes (like a new developer and new deal) brewing? ESD schedules surprise meeting of advisory body for Aug. 8. No agenda yet.

Barely six weeks after the previous meeting (link) of the (purportedly) advisory Atlantic Yards Community Development Corporation (AY CDC), another meeting has been scheduled, for August 8 at 3 pm.

Given that the AY CDC is supposed to meet quarterly and typically has not met that frequency, the hasty scheduling likely suggests some pending change in the project, for which parent Empire State Development (ESD), the state authority that oversees/shepherds the project, seeks endorsement.

What might that be? Well, at the last meeting, an ESD staffer indicated that they expected a new developer--which The Real Deal later reported was Related Companies--for the six railyard sites subject to a foreclosure auction of developer Greenland USA's interests.

This week I reported on proposals by Greenland to rescue the project by supersizing it. While the process ultimately stalled, ESD's general posture indicated it looked favorably on such changes.

While some of those changes were speculative, those regarding Site 5 had already been agreed to by ESD, without disclosure to the public or the AY CDC.

I reported in June that the next AY CDC meeting, the group was told, would likely be in September and be held in Brooklyn, fulfilling the request of some AY CDC board members and facilitating the potential attendance of more interested observers.

That's not happening in this case.

The details

WHEN: Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 3:00 p.m.

WHERE: Empire State Development
655 Third Avenue – 4th Floor Conference Room
New York, New York 10017

Due to building procedures, members of the public attending in-person should please RSVP by 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, August 7, 2024.

Members of the press should please call (800) 260-7313; Members of the public should please call (212) 803-3795.

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

Comments and agenda

Members of the public may submit comments on the Agenda items in writing to AYCDCBdMtg@esd.ny.gov by 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 7, 2024.

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

Of course, there's no agenda posted yet and, as past performance shows, the agenda is typically vague.

Moreover, the requirement to submit comments on a vague agenda beforehand requires clairvoyance.

Those attending the meeting in person can make comments in real time. But they have to go to Manhattan.