Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park Report

It's a do-over, more or less. After the (purportedly) advisory Atlantic Yards Community Development Corporation (AY CDC) meeting March 26 could not get a quorum--but did include updates on the project --the new meeting scheduled for Thursday will attempt official business: approval of the minutes of the Jan. 23 meeting, and approval of the budget for the fiscal year, which started April 1. The agenda  (also at bottom) also includes "Updates and Follow-ups," an oral report that may or may not offer new information. The meeting --RSVPs required--will be held at the Manhattan office of the parent Empire State Development (ESD), the state authority that oversees/shepherds the project. One obvious question: is the foreclosure auction of six railyard development sites, twice postponed and rescheduled for April 30, going to happen? It would be unlikely unless other aspects of the project's future--including the successor to the 421-a tax break and the obligation to build the

Weekly Digest #17: Another Slow Week. ( link ) But at least the Triangle Building has some new advertising signage.

Last November we learned that development rights to six development sites within Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park, used as collateral for two loans to immigrant investors, were scheduled to be sold at a foreclosure auction in January. That auction has been postponed twice, and it's unclear if it will proceed as scheduled on April 30. After all, the towers can't be built without an expensive platform over two blocks of the MTA's Vanderbilt Yard. And it's not clear whether a new developer, which would presumably take over from Greenland USA, would be liable for the $2,000/month fines for each of the 876 affordable housing units not built by May 2025. When did they know? In January, I filed a Freedom of Information Law request with Empire State Development (ESD), the state authority that oversees/shepherds the project: I seek documents that explain how and whether ESD was informed of this foreclosure possibility by developer Greenland USA or other sources, and whether and how E

Barely three weeks after the March 26 meeting ( my coverage ) of the (purportedly) advisory Atlantic Yards Community Development Corporation, the AY CDC, which is supposed to meet quarterly but has rarely met that schedule, is set to meet again , at 3 pm on Thursday, April 18. Though no agenda has yet surfaced, it's likely the meeting is aimed to get the directors to approve the annual $250,000 budget for the year that began April 1. That didn't happen on March 26, because the unexpected absence of one director meant there was no quorum. That said, it's possible other information may surface and/or be discussed. (I'll post the agenda when it surfaces.) Meeting details The meeting will be held at Empire State Development, 633 Third Avenue – 37th Floor Conference Room, It also will be webcast . Due to purported building procedures, members of the public attending in-person should RSVP by 4:30 pm on Wednesday, April 17. Members of the press should call (800) 260-7313; memb

For the first time since news emerged in February 2022 ( link ) that a Savage X lingerie store from Rihanna would open in the long-dormant Triangle Building across from the Barclays Center, there's evidence of the brand's presence. The building, bordered by Flatbush Avenue, Fifth Avenue, and Dean Street, is now draped in advertising for Rihanna's new Signature Script collection . Photos by Norman Oder Does that mean the store might finally arrive, more than two years after WWD quoted unnamed sources about a 10-year lease for Savage x Fenty? Unlikely, though some have made that conclusion . After all, there are no longer any Department of Buildings permits affixed to the building, and no new DOB permits have been sought since October 2020. Meanwhile, there's no listing for any upcoming Brooklyn store on the Savage X Fenty website, nor any mention from the brand's Twitter account . So what's going on? My best guess is that Savage X Fenty is trying to get some v

Flashback: the "Zoning Lot" Hustle. In 2017, eleven rental apartments got cheaper. That saved condo buyers down the block millions. ( Link )

Weekly Digest #16: Waiting for a 421-a Successor ( link )

A recent report (bottom) from the Center for an Urban Future and Brooklyn Org (the borough’s community-led philanthropic platform and its largest racial justice grantmaker, formerly the Brooklyn Community Foundaiton), 50 Ideas for a Stronger and More Equitable Brooklyn, has a few ideas that might be indirectly associated with Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park, so it's worth a look. From the intro: Despite all the progress, Brooklyn has significant work to do to ensure all of its residents can fully participate in the borough’s growing prosperity—or even remain in a borough where rents are rising much faster than most incomes. Brooklyn is now among the nation’s top 10 counties with the greatest income disparities, and the borough’s racial wealth gap has only widened in recent years. The borough is home to a growing number of millionaires, but also more than 500,000 residents living below the poverty line—a sum larger than the total population of Atlanta. These challenges are compounded b