Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park Report

State Attorney General Letitia James spoke May 20 at the power breakfast at the Association for a Better New York and, surprisingly, mentioned Atlantic Yards. I previously quoted a Crain's tweet on this, but let's go to the video below. "I would love to work with this administration," she said, referencing arch-enemy President Donald Trump. " If he wants to--I understand he's willing to work on Penn Station, I applaud that. I'm here. If he wants to build affordable housing I'm here." "Yeah, if he wants to do some major capital projects, I'm here. Hudson Yards. Atlantic Yards. The rail yards, I'm here. I'm reasonable. But my message is clear: don't harm my city, don't harm my state. Otherwise, you've got to go through me."   As I wrote, why exactly James, who’s been lobbied on Atlantic Yards, would be an interface on projects like that is unclear, unless 1) some Attorney General approval is needed, 2) she’s be...

Hey, remember former New York Knick star (and New Jersey Nets rookie, and final career-year player)  Bernard King ? He had an important early role in the Atlantic Yards rollout, participating in the December 10, 2003 project announcement, and representing Forest City Ratner at community events and even a City Council hearing in May 4, 2004, before being dropped, quickly, after an arrest for domestic violence. But how exactly did he get there? In his 2017 memoir  Game Face , King devotes two pages to the episode: In 2003, I was contacted by Bruce Ratner, chief operating officer of the real estate development company, the Ratner Group. He wanted to acquire the New Jersey Nets and move the team to Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, an area bordering on the neighborhood where I grew up. Ratner had some ideas about getting me involved in his plans and asked to discuss them over steaks in New York. [His second wife] Shana and I lived in Georgia, just north of Atlanta. We'd moved there whe...

Rebecca Traister's 2/28/22 New York Magazine profile of Attorney General Letitia James,  The Object of Their Ire , counterposes her and targets Andrew Cuomo and Donald Trump, noting: Years of challenging a moneyed white male grip on political authority have meant a diversification of who can make their way up, and those who have risen more recently are often asked tough questions about how: Did they move from the outside in via the propulsive force of collective community action? Or did they take the hand of the system they were supposed to be challenging and in so doing risk becoming beholden to it? Letitia James — or, as she likes to be called, Tish — is one of the few figures for whom the answer might plausibly be: Both. The profile is fascinating, and James comes off  well. But it's notable how Atlantic Yards has almost become a footnote: As soon as she got to the City Council, she began fighting the proposed development of the Atlantic Yards, a signal that her approa...

From City & State's  The 2022 Law Power 100 , 3/7/22, which puts New York State Attorney General  Letitia James at the top. At 22 are Barry H. Berke, Jeffrey L. Braun & Gary P. Naftalis, Partner; Counsel; Partner, at the firm Kramer Levin: Not many attorneys can say they led an impeachment trial against a U.S. president. Barry Berke, an influential trial attorney at Kramer Levin, can. And it’s only one of several high-profile cases he’s handled, having represented former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio through criminal investigations and CBS Corp. in a dispute with its former CEO Leslie Moonves. Gary P. Naftalis, the firm’s co-chair, is a heavy-hitting trial attorney who’s defended plenty of top corporations and business executives such as Kenneth Langone. Jeffrey L. Braun brings plenty of real estate expertise to Kramer Levin, having guided a wide range of clients through land use and environmental-use disputes in New York. Braun represented Forest City Ratner...

A young writer/organizer named Michael Lange has an interesting Substack newsletter, The Narrative Wars , with some deep dives, such as the 11/12/21 Tish James makes her move . Lange does good research, but isn't as surefooted as I'd like. He writes: Upon entering the council, James was eager to distinguish herself as a frequent critic of the Bloomberg administration, as she quickly cultivated a reputation as one of the body’s most outspoken members. During her first week in office, James inherited the Atlantic Yards development project, a.k.a. the Barclays Center, which consumed the lionshare of her work over the next decade. James emerged as one of the most vocal opponents of the project, vowing to fight eminent domain tooth and nail in court. However, the case was rejected at both the trial and appellate court levels, while the Supreme Court refused to even hear it, a dead-end for James’ efforts. Yet in recent years, James’ once steadfast opposition to Atlantic Yards has app...

My recent post on Tish James's run for Governor sent me back to this 6/27/14 ABC/7 report (via Yahoo) headlined  Deal to expedite affordable housing near NYC arena , which deserves a closer look, not just for some errors and misreadings, but also for criticism from the then Public Advocate and a prescient warning by an Atlantic Yards opponent. This came on the day of a ( misleading ) New York Times scoop on a deal to ensure that the project's 2,250 affordable housing units would be built by May 2025--ten years before the then-current deadline (which had been extended to 2035) but still well past previous predictions. And that was the day that Empire State Development, the state authority overseeing/shepherding Atlantic Yards, approved and announced an agreement with developer Forest City Ratner to start two "100% affordable" towers within the next year, among other things. This averted a threatened lawsuit, on fair housing grounds (that delays would particularly impa...

So Letitia James, who's served as 35th District Council Member, NYC Public Advocate, and is currently state Attorney General, has her sights set on the Governor's office, after producing the report that spurred Gov. Andrew Cuomo's resignation, elevating Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, whose base is in Buffalo. A 10/29/21 TIME profile of James,  Letitia James Does Not Want New York to Be 'Defined By the Failings of a Few Men.' Now She's Running For Governor , focused on her background and her performance as AG, skating over her time in Brooklyn.  But her role in Atlantic Yards was covered, not always well, by some local publications. Bringing affordable housing? Here’s what a Gov. Letitia James would mean for business , Crain's New York Business wrote 10/29/21, including this curious paragraph: Councilman Steven Levin, who served beside James from 2010 to 2014, said her years-long opposition to Atlantic Yards brought increased affordable housing into the final project...

I wrote a post in January 2020 headlined  The rise of "Hakeem" and "Tish": from Central Brooklyn to national prominence .  It already deserves an update. About Letitia James James, who Gov. Andrew Cuomo supported for Attorney General over a more left-wing challenger, issued the convincing report documenting evidence of Cuomo's alleged sexual harassment, which led the governor to step down. That led to salutes from some who'd questioned James's independence. Cuomo's departure puts little-known Lt. Gov Kathy Hochul, from western New York, in office.  Hochul  said she'd run for the full term in 2022, so she's likely choosing a new Lt. Gov. from downstate, possibly a Black man who would who would it harder for James to consolidate support. There's always the wild card--suggested here --that Cuomo, who retains a huge war chest, could enter the race at the last minute, especially since the Legislature has given up impeachment, which would bar...

Facing impeachment on multiple charges of sexual harassment (validated by a report from Attorney General Letitia James), seeing key aides resign , and recognizing an inevitable impeachment process, three-term Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigned yesterday--effective in 14 days--setting the stage for Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, from the Buffalo area, to take over.  It was a shocking fall--with a not so conciliatory speech --for such a powerful, imperious governor, whose mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic, notably nursing-home deaths, did not affect his national profile, built by daily press briefings last year that contrasted with President Donald Trump's disdainful, dismissive approach. The front pages in New York, Cuomo edition pic.twitter.com/gL3oqxAq2v — Azi (@Azi) August 11, 2021 What about 2022? That opens up the 2022 governor's race, with Hochul expected to run, with the advantages of incumbency. That said, a politician with a downstate base, including James, NYC Public Advco...

OK, I'm catching up with City & State NY's 2020 Law Power 100, "Recognizing New York’s 100 Most Politically Powerful Lawyers," published in March. There are a few Atlantic Yards ties. At the top of the list is state Attorney General Letitia James , the first black woman in the office: Since taking office, James has already had a huge impact on the state. She has worked with other attorneys general on multistate litigation on a range of issues, including holding pharmaceutical companies accountable for deaths from opioid use and protecting access to birth control and abortion. Just last month, she began an investigation into the New York City Police Department to determine if officers discriminate against communities of color in arresting fare-beaters. She also is probing the New York State Association of Black and Puerto Rican Legislators, even though it’s chaired by an ally, Assemblywoman Latrice Walker. A year into her tenure, she told City & State, “Fir...

To a good number of people in and around Central Brooklyn, they're simply "Hakeem" and "Tish," charismatic, capable lawyer-politicians who've shown up at so many events and functions that they seem familiar. To political observers around the city, state, and country, they're now New York Attorney General Letitia James and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, House Democratic Caucus Chair. Those are powerful positions: other than Special Counsel Robert Mueller and House impeachment managers, James has been best positioned to investigate President Donald Trump, given that his companies and foundation conduct business in New York. Jeffries, fifth in the House Democratic leadership, is poised to rise even higher once senior leaders retire or step aside. James, in many ways, has a bigger job, and a tougher one. After all, she's got to run a vast department, while also pursuing policy reforms discussed during the campaign (cleaner government, voting reform) and, no...

City & State New York's listing of  The 2019 Brooklyn Power 100  is, of course arbitrary, but it's also intriguing. And it includes some Atlantic Yards-related references. The ranking is... interesting, starting with: Rep. Hakeem Jeffries Sen. Charles Schumer State AG Letitia James Rep. Nydia Velazquez Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams The description for Adams: No Brooklyn borough president has ever become mayor, and the last borough president in New York City to ascend to Gracie Mansion was Manhattan’s David Dinkins. But Eric Adams hopes he could become the first. With Letitia James preoccupied enforcing state law, the former state senator and ex-police officer may have an opening in what will no doubt be a crowded field in 2021. He has outraised his opponents recently, hauling in more than $500,000 over the first six months of the year, although his rival City Comptroller Scott Stringer has more than $2.5 million in his war chest. Adams has been noticeab...

OK, looking at local/state elections... Gov. Andrew Cuomo was easily re-elected--no surprise there--which means continued support for projects like Atlantic Yards and the planned Belmont arena. "Status Cuomo," as the headline goes. NYC Public Advocate Letitia James was elected state Attorney General, which might mean some more scrutiny of the real-estate industry but--given priorities to represent the state, fight Donald Trump, and go after (some) corruption--seems not so likely. James's departure from the Public Advocate's position sets up a special election, which could would position the next office holder to run for Mayor in 2021. An enormous number of potential candidates have either been mentioned or expressed interest in running. Should Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams get the job, not only would that give him new stature in the mayoral race, it would open up the Brooklyn Borough Presidency for a special election. Not that any new Borough President...

Based on his record of campaign contributions, semi-retired real estate executive Bruce Ratner, like a lot of others in the field, probably didn't want insurgent Zephyr Teachout to win the Democratic nomination for Attorney General, but can live with Public Advocate Letitia James, even if she was not the first choice. Forest City New York Executive Chairman Ratner contributed $2,500 (see screenshot above) to Maloney on Sept. 13, primary day , part of the huge haul Maloney took in after real estate executives, via the Real Estate Board of New York, got the push . Maloney's big expenditures on advertising helped build name recognition and detract from Teachout, a factor in James's easy win in the Democratic primary. Giving to James And guess what: Ratner on Oct. 29 gave $10,000 (see screenshot below) to James's campaign, in which she's expected to beat Republican Keith Wofford in tomorrow's election. Consider the continued criticism of James's disse...

In a race that pushed incumbent Gov. Andrew Cuomo to his left and highlighted challenger Cynthia Nixon's criticism of Cuomo's stewardship of the subway system, Cuomo, riding a huge war chest, soundly defeated Nixon in yesterday's Democratic primary election, likely a path to victory in the November general election. In other words, "Status Cuo-Mo," as the Daily News cover "wood" put it. And that would be the status quo for New York State's stewardship of Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park, via the state-controlled Empire State Development, which likely will remain deferential to the developer's desires. Not that ESD oversight became a campaign issue. Not status quo was the defeat of most Democratic Senators who were in the breakaway Independent Democratic Conference, including Brooklyn's Jesse Hamilton, who represents a broad district that includes part of Prospect Heights. The AG race From the New York Times In a surprise to some, e...

In last night's Attorney General debate--here's my City Limits profile of candidate Leecia Eve , by the way--I was wondering what candidate Letitia James, the city's Public Advocate, might say about Atlantic Yards. "As someone who has consistently and repeatedly over 20 years spoken truth to power, and who has challenged powerful interests in the state of New York," James said in her closing , "I will not allow anybody to question my independence, because it's already been proven. She cited her work as a former public defender, as a former assistant Attorney General, and then said "as a former City Council member who took on the most powerful developer in Brooklyn," before moving on to her work as Public Advocate. Maybe the micro-pause after "took on the most powerful developer in Brooklyn" was consistent with all her other micro-pauses. Or maybe James considered--but then held back on--saying that she'd taken the developer...

I have an op-ed in Gotham Gazette, published last night, headlined Running for Attorney General, James Takes Strong Atlantic Yards Record Too Far . A few excerpts: So it was surprising and dismaying to hear James during two recent appearances inflate her significant and often brave record opposing the Atlantic Yards project, the arena-plus-towers development announced in 2003 when she was representing the 35th City Council District in Brooklyn. ...“Lastly, let me just say that I’m the only individual on this stage that’s actually taken a major developer all the way to the United States Supreme Court,

The latest campaign finance filings are out in state races;  Real estate spending heavily on attorney general race , City & State reported yesterday, noting that the Real Estate Board of New York’s political action committee has given: $15,000 to the campaign of NYC Public Advocate Letitia James $15,000 to Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney’s campaign $5,000 to Verizon lobbyist Leecia Eve’s campaign Specific real estate businesses, though, have focused on Maloney, who has a corporate background and may be seen as more business-friendly: he got $150,000 from limited liability companies (LLCs) linked to the Durst Organization. James got $10,000 donation from Durst. Note that "top two contenders" is a little vague, since, while James--endorsed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the Democratic Party--is the individual leader in polls (see Siena Poll , below), most voters are undecided. The other candidate, law professor Zephyr Teachout, has refused PAC and LLC money and positioned herself ...