Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park Report

While the Community Newspaper Group's interviews with the Democratic Mayoral candidates, Comptroller Bill Thompson and Queens City Council Member Tony Avella , have already been summarized in the CNG's reports, the video is worth watching for an extended look at their analyses of Atlantic Yards. Notably, Thompson showed himself to be a supporter of affordable housing and Community Benefits Agreements, though he offered no definition for the former and vague reform proposals for the former, while Avella addressed both issues with more criticism and more detail. Unlike many candidates, who rely on funds from the real estate industry, Avella said his game plan was to tell the industry they no longer control the city's land use agenda. Note that the Citizens Union has endorsed Thompson, saying he was more experienced and qualified. Here are questionnaires for Thompson and Avella . Thompson has far more campaign cash and endorsements than Avella, but Mayor Mike Bloomberg has ...

Notable absences at the two-day Atlantic Yards public hearing held last week by the Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC) were two Council Members, Bill de Blasio of the 39th District and David Yassky of the 33rd District, whose districts border the AY footprint. (Whatever their other obligations, they could have sent surrogates, as did some loyal elected officials in Forest City Ratner's camp.) Also notable was the presence of several of the candidates vying to replace them, all expressing opposition to the project. More predictable, but still worth pointing out, was the presence of two long-shot Mayoral candidates who have challenged city leaders' friendliness toward development: City Council Member Tony Avella and activist Rev. Billy Talen. Also predictable, but notable, was the absence of the Democratic frontrunner, city Comptroller Bill Thompson, who on development issues differs little from Mayor Mike Bloomberg. Was it Markowitz's endorsement? As I've noted ...

Longshot mayoral candidate Tony Avella , a maverick City Council Member from Northeast Queens, officially launched his candidacy yesterday afternoon at a City Hall press conference. Seeking to distinguish himself from the highly-scripted typical politicians, Avella declared that he hadn't written a speech but instead would speak about three main issues. Indeed, two of Avella's issues barely registered with the crowd of supporters behind him: lowered taxes and a revamped education system. Rather, they applauded heartily when he condemned overdevelopment, asserting that the real estate industry has too much power and "the city has done very little to preserve quality of life." "Overdevelopment," he said, "is destroying the character of every community. That absolutely must stop." Brooklyn in the house While most of Avella's supporters appeared to be from Queens, I did spot a couple of Brooklyn activists in the crowd. Avella has opposed the Atlant...