"…the Atlantic Yards project in Brooklyn—I don't think it's going to happen."

Here's one genuinely welcome casualty of the Bush-Obama recession. Gothamist brings word that Brooklyn's Atlantic Yards project is floundering:

Starchitect Frank Gehry really stepped in it during a recent interview with industry journal The Architect's Newspaper, admitting he doesn't think developer Bruce Ratner's $4.2 billion plan to build a Nets basketball arena, office towers and thousands of apartments in Brooklyn will become a reality. In an interview on the occasion of his 80th birthday, Gehry dropped the bombshell when asked about unrealized commissions he most wishes had been built: "The Corcoran Gallery in DC, the Atlantic Yards project in Brooklyn—I don't think it's going to happen."

Gehry's team has designed and redesigned the basketball arena and other buildings as the project has spun its wheels under the weight of enormous community opposition, lawsuits, and, now, a foundering economy. In November, it was learned that Gehry quietly dismissed more than two dozen staffers working on fresh designs, then Ratner stopped all work while fending off lawsuits, one of which (a challenge to the development's use of eminent domain) is still winding its way through the courts.

New York turned to eminent domain, it's worth remembering, so Bruce Ratner could build a new basketball stadium for the Bruce Ratner-owned Nets.

More Atlantic Yards blogging here and here. More on New York eminent domain abuse here.

Comments

[TofuSushi]

First again!

[Warty]

Starchitect

GAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRR WARTY SMASH GAAAAAAARRRR

[shrike]

"Bush-Obama recession"?

There is some fine revisionist auto-asphyxiation. Don't choke on your own root, Root.

Like Dick "deficits don't matter" Cheney - revisionism is for the decider to decide.

The GOP may as well sop up their assholes with lube now for the 2010 election reaming on the way. When the inevitable economic rebound hits in 2010 - Obama will be the lucky ticket holder.

[J sub D]

First again!

How juvenile.

[R C Dean]

When the inevitable economic rebound hits in 2010

Maybe, shrike.

I hope so, but so far the closest historical parallel that I see is the Japanese recession, which started some 10 - 12 years ago and has basically never gone away.

Of course, no analogy is perfect. If anything, our shenanigans with our currency and debt and financial industry outstrip anything the Japanese did, and hold out the very distinct possibility that we will go from a mild deflationary cycle straight into truly historical hyperinflation.

[Enough About Palin]

"Gehry dropped the bombshell when asked about unrealized commissions he most wishes had been built: "The Corcoran Gallery in DC, the Atlantic Yards project in Brooklyn-I don't think it's going to happen.""

No, this is year 1 of the AOE (After Oboma Era). I'm thinking bail out. Lots of jobs is the selling point. Oh and some of that housing is "affordable housing"

"How juvenile."

So true. It's the main reason I don't really come here anymore. Oh well.

[Enough About Palin]

Obama, not Oboma

[shrike]

I hope so, but so far the closest historical parallel that I see is the Japanese recession, which started some 10 - 12 years ago and has basically never gone away.

Now that is a fair comparison, I admit.

For: We are propping up zombie banks at the expense of growth.

Against: We have the world's reserve currency to syringe our economy, we have Gehry genuises and the the most innovation in the world, we import wealth in the form of investment, etc.

I admit conflict on this issue. But my money is where my mouth is - long equities.

[FTG]

The news would be really good if the properties were being returned to their rightful owners, with an apology from the State's officials for violating their private property rights. As it is, it's nothing more than petty consolation.

[FTG]

Obama, not Oboma

Better use Il Duce. It's easier to write and rememeber . . .

[shrike]

And I am double short gold (dzz) - the goldbugs/Fed conspiracy theorists will take it in the shitter.

[joshua corning]

So I went to the County's public works office today and discussed why the county wanted drive ways to be built before houses were built or the lots even sold. The county first said that because the driveways were 2 lot driveways it would be impossible for the two lot owners to get together and make a drive way.

Of course the two lot owners already shared a well which will require the land owners to install a pump and bring power to and any dock they make would also be joint use..and the road they come in on is a private road which 16 lot owners will own and maintain...but somehow a drive way owned by two different lot owners will cause a huge conflict.

Anyway i asked regardless of any conflict two lot owners may have over a drive way what interest does the county have in the driveway going onto a private road?

Stupid me did not realize the answer was of course "Sight Distance"

[SpongePaul]

We are propping up zombie banks at the expense of growth.
____________________________________

Fast zombies or slow ones. I fear the fast one. the slow ones, not so much

[joshua corning]

"Bush-Obama recession"?

There is some fine revisionist auto-asphyxiation.

I agree...to be fair democrats took control of the house and senate well before the recession started.

To be accurate it should be the "Bush-Democrat controlled congress-Obama recession"

[joshua corning]

The GOP may as well sop up their assholes with lube now for the 2010 election reaming on the way. When the inevitable economic rebound hits in 2010 - Obama will be the lucky ticket holder.

It will be fun to watch Democrats telling us how 8% unemployment is good, when from 2001-2008 they have been telling us how 5% unemployment was a fucking devastating tragedy.

By the way I want credit for being the one who first said that Democrats will be destroyed by lagging indicators.

[Pro Libertate]

SpongePaul,

Oh, please. There's no such thing as fast zombies.

[shrike]

to be fair democrats took control of the house and senate well before the recession started.

Well, yes they did. So sayeth the wingnutteria.

So what legislation did the Dem Congress sneak past Busholio?

A bump in the minimum wage? What else?

Nothing.

This stench of Bush is hard to shake, Mr. 22%.

[anarch]

Well, which is it?

And I like everyone and I want everyone to like me, so please don't say anything bad, because I only wanted to help.

[Paul]

So what legislation did the Dem Congress sneak past Busholio?

They didn't have to sneak anything by him. Because they didn't have the desire or the will to change anything about Bush doctrine.

First 100 hours my ass.

[Jesus Complex]

If the economy comes back before the 2010 elections, the GOP will just say, "Of course it came back, but it would have come back sooner had he listened to us." Then they will use the huge deficit to beat the democrats over the head.

There is no lucky ticket holder here.

[Colonel_Angus]

Frank Gehry sucks. Not just because he is Ratner's bitch, but because his buildings are retarded fad-ish pieces of shit. I once thought they were cool designs, and then every city had him build the exact same stupid band venue, probably at taxpayer expense.

[Art-P.O.G.]

According to this wiki, Ratner's bro is head of The Center for Constitutional Rights.

So, with apologies to LoneWacko (not really), ask Michael Ratner what he thinks of his brother's use of eminent domain and upload his response to Youtube (not really). Lol.

So true. It's the main reason I don't really come here anymore.

O RLY? I also took a (partially involuntary) break from this site but I missed the awesome. No place like it. Please give me a Free Kindle.

[Art-P.O.G.]

Sketches of Frank Gehry is a terrific documentary, incidentally, and I do (for the most part) admire Gehry's work.

[zero]

Jersey wins again, bitch!

[P Brooks]

But wait!

This project is shovel ready!!

Put it on the fast track, Suit!

[Robert]

Seems that in NY, abuses of eminent domain get stopped mostly as a side effect, not by attenuating eminent domain per se. In this case it's the economy. In New Rochelle with IKEA it was environnmental concerns; the fight over eminent domain led to their not being allowed to build at all there, even without eminent domain.

[ChrisO]

This project seemed dubious even during the bubble economy. I'm sad that it won't be a legal mechanism that kills it dead and thereby provide precedent for others similarly afflicted--and that the former owners won't get their property back. But at least this sleazebag deal is tanking one way or another.

Watch New Jersey throw a bunch of money at Ratner anyway...

[John C]

Fuck Jay Z