Comments (0) Best noble failure - 2007
It's Still Not a Done Deal
Recently, Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn hosted a literary soiree and fundraiser. The title of the afternoon: It's Still Not a Done Deal. "It" refers to Bruce Ratner's Atlantic Yards proposal, the multibillion-dollar plan that will transform the abandoned rail yards and neighboring buildings into a morass of skyscrapers and luxury housing (and will rely on lots and lots of public money to fund it). DDDB's motto is hard to argue with: "Fighting for development that will unite our communities instead of dividing and destroying them." They've distinguished themselves by their intelligent analysis, delightful events, reasonable goals, and maybe the coolest advisory board ever (Jo Andres, Nelson George, John Wesley Harding, Jhumpa Lahiri, Jonathan Lethem, and Rosie Perez are just a few members). But no matter how many white papers and challenges to environmental reviews and eminent-domain appeals they seem to file, Atlantic Yards looks increasingly like a done deal. Smart, savvy, hip, and friendly, the organization nevertheless seems powerless to halt Ratner's plan.
