Develop-- don't destroy. Fri, December 5, 2008

Bruce Ratner's "Atlantic Yards" proposal in Prospect Heights, in the heart of historic Brownstone Brooklyn envisions a 22 acre footprint–1.3 times that of the World Trade Center site–and includes:

a 20,000-seat arena
16 high-rise towers ranging in height from 20 to 55 stories
6,860 housing units
606,000 square feet of office space
247,000 square feet of retail space

The plan is the largest single-source development plan ever proposed in New York City.

We support development, affordable housing construction, and job creation, and those goals are to be encouraged, to be sure, but not on the terms forced upon us by Forest City Ratner's proposal.

Below is the Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn position statement.
(Click to Download this position statement in pdf format)

MARCH, 2004

Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn Position Statement

People in Brooklyn may want the Nets, but...
NO ONE wants a destructive, secret, taxpayer-subsidized sweetheart deal forced on the community. We want a development plan that maximizes its benefits for Brooklyn, rather than for a development company. We believe that Brooklyn and New York City deserve much better than what Forest City Ratner has proposed, which repeats the urban renewal mistakes of the past which cannot allow to happen.

DEVELOP DON'T DESTROY BROOKLYN leads a broad-based community coalition fighting for development that unites our communities instead of dividing and destroying them.

WE OPPOSE the anti-democratic process that Forest City Ratner has used, and continues to use, to push its arena and skyscraper development plan on the people of Brooklyn without our input or consent.

WE SUPPORT community-based proposals and a fair, public, democratic, and transparent development process. We support proposals that allow our communities, the people who live, work and run small businesses in Brooklyn, to shape our futures. This is best accomplished through the City's ULURP process. (The UNITY Community Development Plan for the Atlantic Rail Yards can be found at: www.dddb.net/public/UNITY.pdf)

WE SUPPORT local hiring, local businesses, sustainable jobs, job training, career development and affordable housing.

WE SUPPORT utilizing the Brooklyn model of horizontal density found in the communities surrounding the proposed site, as well as development that has the least possible negative environmental impact on our communities.

WE SUPPORT an RFP (Request for Proposals), open-bidding for multiple developers, and an independent appraisal for the MTA-owned rail yards.

WE OPPOSE the use of eminent domain for Mr. Ratner's private development; its use for this proposal is inappropriate, abusive, and appears to be unconstitutional.

WE OPPOSE the use of taxpayer subsidies for a private arena. We oppose the use of taxpayer subsidies for a high-rise, private, for-profit development in low-rise Brooklyn neighborhoods.