Atlantic Yards Project
Atlantic Yards Project The Atlantic Yards Project is a mixed use commercial and residential development project in the Prospect Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. It is a project that was first started by the Cleveland, Ohio based company Forest City Ratner Companies, a subsidiary of Forest City Enterprises. Their goal is to redevelop 22 acres of Downtown Brooklyn that will include 6 million square feet of residential space, 247,000 square feet of retail use, 336,000 square feet of office space, 8 acres of publicly accessible open space, and the newly built Barclay’s Center, which is the new home to the Brooklyn Nets and soon following New York Islanders. Other changes to the area include major transportation improvements to the Atlantic Terminal Transit Hub and the LIRR.
This sounds like a tremendous project that will drastically improve this neighborhood of Brooklyn and it is, for the most part. Unfortunately, very rarely is a something this big done without any controversies or opposition and here lies the moral and ethical issues that have been battled in court since day one and continue to do so. In order for Forest City Ratner Co. to obtain all of the desired 22 acres of land it needed the help of the New York City Public Authorities Control Board. The Public Authorities Control Board has the authority to use something called eminent domain, which allows them to acquire private property for the good of the public, even if the current owners do not wish to sell.
In the mid 1950s, then Brooklyn Dodgers owner, Walter O’Malley wanted city officials to use this same power to condemn a nearby site in order for him to then buy it and build a new stadium for his Dodgers. The officials stated that based on Title I of the Federal Housing Act of 1949 a privately funded baseball park is not an appropriate public good to qualify the use of eminent domain. So, what has changed in the last sixty years and why is basketball more important to the public good
This sounds like a tremendous project that will drastically improve this neighborhood of Brooklyn and it is, for the most part. Unfortunately, very rarely is a something this big done without any controversies or opposition and here lies the moral and ethical issues that have been battled in court since day one and continue to do so. In order for Forest City Ratner Co. to obtain all of the desired 22 acres of land it needed the help of the New York City Public Authorities Control Board. The Public Authorities Control Board has the authority to use something called eminent domain, which allows them to acquire private property for the good of the public, even if the current owners do not wish to sell.
In the mid 1950s, then Brooklyn Dodgers owner, Walter O’Malley wanted city officials to use this same power to condemn a nearby site in order for him to then buy it and build a new stadium for his Dodgers. The officials stated that based on Title I of the Federal Housing Act of 1949 a privately funded baseball park is not an appropriate public good to qualify the use of eminent domain. So, what has changed in the last sixty years and why is basketball more important to the public good