Come Out To Protest Atlantic Yards Groundbreaking Tomorrow

PROTEST ATLANTIC YARDS GROUNDBREAKING!

Dear Readers,

While we have been busy here in Carroll Gardens fighting for a clean Gowanus Canal and for the contextual re-zoning of our lovely brownstone neighborhood, a much bigger fight has been going on against the Atlantic Yards project.

Community activists have worked tirelessly to protect Brooklyn from Bruce Ratners wrecking balls, but corruption, greed and our self-serving politicians are a powerful force to reckon with. The objections and concerns of Brooklyn residents were disregarded at every turn.

Tomorrow a big rally is being organized to protest Bruce Ratner's groundbreaking ceremony. I will certainly be there to join my Brooklyn neighbors. Please be there as well.

The message below is from Brooklyn Speaks:


Protest groundbreaking at Atlantic Yards 3/11/10

As you may have heard, on March 1, New York Supreme Court Justice Abraham Gerges issued a decision that clears the way for the condemnation of private properties through the State’s power of eminent domain.

With that decision in hand, Forrest City Ratner will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for its billion dollar Barclays Center Arena on Thursday, March 11th at 1:30 PM. The exact location for the groundbreaking is not yet known.

Members of the surrounding communities are quite naturally very angry and disappointed by this turn of events. We have long fought against the misuse of taxpayer funds for this highly speculative project which will deliver virtually no benefits to the public, but instead is poised to cost the public millions of dollars. Instead of breaking ground for the promised 2,250 units of publicly subsidized "affordable" housing, the developer, Mayor and Governor will dig in for an arena that will house nobody and will be a money loser for New York City.

Our neighbors and colleagues Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn will be staging a two-stage counter demonstration that day. Consider taking a long lunch break and joining them to express your feelings about what’s happening – and what’s not happening (like affordable housing and jobs) – at Atlantic Yards.

First: The Groundbreaking to Bury the Soul of Brooklyn will take place at 12:30 pm on Thursday, March 11 in front of Freddy's Bar in the project footprint at the corner of Dean Street and 6th Avenue.

After the burial: protesters will gather outside Freddy’s and walk to the site of the official groundbreaking and rally against the project that was never destined to deliver on its promises, but will now deliver a pittance.

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