BrooklynSpeaks sponsors fight to uphold court order to revisit 2009 Modified General Project Plan

On Tuesday, February 14 at 2:00 PM, BrooklynSpeaks sponsors will return to court to argue against an appeal of a July ruling ordering the Empire State Development Corporation and Forest City Ratner Companies to revisit their 2009 Modified General Project Plan for the Atlantic Yards project, and to perform additional study of its environmental impacts. The hearing will be held at the Appellate Division of New York State Supreme Court, located at 27 Madison Avenue in Manhattan.

ESDC and FCRC continue to argue that their 2009 review of the effects of extending Atlantic Yards construction from 10 to 25 years was adequate not only in the face of the lower court's order, but even as they have thus far failed to release plans for the 1,100 surface parking lot now proposed for the eastern end of the footprint. The impact to the surrounding neighborhoods of extended use of the land for surface parking was a major factor in the decision by the BrooklynSpeaks sponsors to file suit. An article in today's New York Post reveals that more than half of the lot would have to use stackers in order to accommodate 1,100 cars. And information gained from a FOIL request by Atlantic Yards Report shows that ESDC and FCRC were still trying to resolve the potential for traffic congestion due to the use of stackers as late as October 2011.

Join us in court tomorrow to let the State and the developer know, "Enough is enough." The communities of central Brooklyn demand the thorough analysis necessary to address the impacts of locating an arena in a residential neighborhood. And the taxpayers of New York deserve to get the benefits promised in exchange for public dollars.