Brooklyn, NY – The fight over property rights is getting ugly in Brooklyn. Homeowners living in the way of a new stadium projects say they’ll go on fighting despite losing a major court battle. CBS 2 met the central figure in the battle who has seen almost all of his neighbors move away.
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Atlantic Yards is the site in Brooklyn where developer Bruce Ratner plans to build a massive construction project anchored by a brand new basketball stadium for the New Jersey Nets, even if has to force the last few unwilling residents to move out. At 636 Pacific Street, it’s coming down to high noon, a half-dozen years in the making.
“This’ll be the largest project in the history of Brooklyn. It’ll be larger than the footprint of the World Trade Center,” said Dan Goldstein, a condo owner on the site. “They’re stealing my property. My property is not for sale, but they’re going to make me sell it to them if we lose this next round of litigation.”
Six years ago all the apartments in Goldstein’s building were all occupied. There were 31 units in the building, but that was before Atlantic Yards was announced and everybody wound up moved out over the course of 18 months.
On Monday there is one hold-out: the Goldstein family. They are the only occupants on the floor, the only occupants in the building, and they say they’re not going anywhere.
“This about the principle – should a citizen of New York State have to the greatest powers of the state who want to take my property and hand it over to a billionaire,” said Goldstein.
Goldstein lives in the building with his wife and daughter. Some believe they are just getting in the way.
“Over a couple of hold-outs? I don’t know, I think for over a few people they should compromise,” said Brooklyn resident Robert Marion.
Matthew Brinkerhoff represents a total of 10 clients who are in the way and want to stay. He said the recession, among other things has made the project’s promise of affordable housing to go with stadium a bad bet.
“They are seeking to take their homes based on facts that existed three years ago and no longer exist and everyone knows they no longer exist,” he told CBS 2.
There are still four active lawsuits. Ratner predicts the Nets will be playing in their new stadium by the 2011 season in Brooklyn. A spokesman for Ratner Monday told CBS 2 the developer expects to sell $700 million in tax-free bonds that should be issued this week to help finance the project.
If I had to guess:
It’s all price Goldtein is trying to get C’mon
#1 Why say that? with the shortage in housing here in Brooklyn I also wouldn’t just give in. Who needs the sports arena when people are struggling to find a roof over their head for an economical price?
Btw
goldstein is maried to an oriental and as far as the daughter….. Vihamavem yovin
They were ofeered millions plus new housing they are a bunch of liberals maried to goyim I don’t know why you have this up
The 5th amendment of the constitution allows for eminent domain. The US Supreme Court liberalized the scope of eminent domain in 2006 in Kelo v. City of New London. I find it interesting that some of the same commentators in the Rubashkin case screamed about the importance of the law and here they dismiss the law. Personally, I do not like eminent domain and the Supreme Court’s ruling in 2006 is out of whack. But if you are so strongly for the letter of the law and nothing else, why do you complain here?
Why does Ratner need to force someone to sell but he wants to keep his Atlantic Mall next door? Yes, it belongs to the same thug.
The answer is obvious, this is private industry operating with the rubber stamp of the government. Wait a few years and this desolate area will be dead when this project goes bankrupt.
i dont care who he is jewish black spanish eminent domain has to stop its all about money and who you know its all corupt
Fascism is the collusion of government and the corporate sector to repress the citizenry politically, socially, and economically.
Fascism means not having choices.
Wake up. Wake up. Wake up.
why do u guys care if they put the arena there at that location,its not like theres any jews there i know of living?
and for all those that think it will put the yidden off the derech is wrong.
idk about the nets,but the yankees have been around since 1903 way before todays ipods and internet technology.so to say it does raises the question why are u on the web?
I fail to understand why anyone would want to live on Atlantic and Flatbush Aves either now of after the stadium is built. There’s no ambiance, but I guess there are great subway and LIRR connections.
It’s a good thing for her that Mary Sondek’s case was way back in the 1960s. Otherwise she and her dog would have been evicted in ten seconds.
– If you take a close look at the large circular store on Queens Blvd and 55th Avenue in Elmhurst, Queens, you’ll see there’s a notch on the western side near Queens Blvd. Back in the 1960s when Macy’s assembled that parcel and wanted to begin construction, Ms. Sondek refused to sell.
Macy’s, instead of buying up a judge and a City Council, bit the bullet and modified the building. They lived through it. So did she, dying of natural causes a few years later.
I thought that eminent domain was only applicable if the state or government requires the site for their use. Since when can this be enforced for for private enterprise or for someones private project? If Ratner can get his way it certainly seems that there was some big payoff involved.
agree! stinks of bribes!
and every sports club NEEDS a new arena? yankee stadium – is NOT bringing in the bucks to local retailer, it is only feeding the stores IN the stadium. meadowlands stadium was “bad”? We NEEDED citi feilds – a new stadium for the mets? Shea stadium was “OLD”? and WHO pays for it? US -= with these “tax free” bonds….. When NY is going BANKRUPT faster than anything – lets spend MORE MONEY? Does not make sense. Wait till the Govt says cemetaries are a blight and they go after them too…. That has been done…
like it or not its the law, anyways why would you wanna live near a stadium anyways , noise pollution crime traffic construction take the cash and come to Lakewood , we’ll welcome you with open arms
Will someone please explain to me that when and if this project gets done how traffic (which at present barely moves) will flow thru this area. To me this is as an insane idea as was the project to build on the west side of Manhattan. The stadium project there failed as I hope this does also. There is avaialble room in Coney Island, in the Rockaway’s and a few other remaining open areas in Queens…then why in downtown Brooklyn which is alredy far too congested?
Am Kshei Oraf. He is a lone holdout and was offerred a lot more money than his condo is worth. He stands in the way of progress, jobs, tax revenue, modernization, and growth. For what?? Living in a dump? He can buy a nicer condo in abetter location. The developer can even offer him an apt in the new complex but he doesnt want it. Its another thing if this was a farm or shore property that was in his family for generations. THen there is some psychic pleasure that is unmeasurable. But for a hole in the wall in downtown Bklyn? Gimme a break.