Bruce Ratner

Holy Crap, the Islanders Are Moving to Brooklyn! (liveblog)

As the Twitterverse is already aware, the New York Islanders are holding a press conference at Brooklyn's Barclays Center at 1 pm, with the word being that they're set to announce a move to the land of Marty Markowitz once their Nassau Coliseum lease expires in 2015. There are all sorts of questions ... More >>

Creators of Atlantic Yards film, Battle for Brooklyn, Talk Opening of Barclays Center, Jay-z, Corruption, and More (Pt. 1)

With the opening concert at the Barclays Center slated for Friday, we caught up with Michael Galinksy and Suki Hawley, creators of the critically-acclaimed film, Battle for Brooklyn. Battle for Brooklyn follows Brooklyn apartment owner, Daniel Goldstein, and his fight to save his home from real-est ... More >>

Brooklyn Soon To Be Home To World's Most Humongous Barclays Logo

The indefatigable Norman Oder -- at least, we've never seen him defatigued -- reported yesterday on his Atlantic Yards Report that Brooklyn's new Nets arena is about to get a "honking big" Barclays logo on its roof. This is normal and expected for roofed sports facilities these days (check out the l ... More >>

New Brooklyn Home for the Nets Will Provide Thousands of Local Jobs, Bloomberg Brags

This morning, reporters wearing hard hats entered the massive construction site of the future home of the Nets in Brooklyn to hear Mayor Mike Bloomberg brag about the thousands of jobs the project will provide for neighborhood residents. But there seemed to be a bit of confusion in the question-an ... More >>

The Islanders Are Coming! The Islanders Are Coming!

​Things have been mostly quiet on the New York Islanders arena front since their public vote for a new home in the 516 crashed and burned spectacularly last summer. That all changed yesterday afternoon, however, with the announcement that the team has scheduled an exhibition game against the D ... More >>

Ratner's Green-Card Fundraising Scheme: Is This a Scandal, or What?

​The ever-epic Norman Oder of Atlantic Yards Report today closes out his epic series on Bruce Ratner's bizarre green-cards-for-financing scheme with a (wait for it) epic FAQ on exactly how the New Jersey Nets Brooklyn New Yorkers co-owner plans to take advantage of an obscure federal job-promo ... More >>

In the Footprint's Hoop Schemes

The Civilians charge into the Atlantic Yards project

Freddy's Bar, Threatened by Atlantic Yards, Executes Dummy with Beer Cans, Vows Resistance

Mayor Bloomberg remains bullish, or should we say Nettish, on the Atlantic Yards project: "While the rest of the country wrings its hands about the national recession," he says, "we're building our way out of it." The patrons of Freddy's Bar, who last week showed resistance to their impending evic ... More >>

Anticipating Atlantic Yards Eviction, Freddy's Bar Wraps Itself in Chains

Photos by Lisanne McTernan. The locals at Freddy's Backroom -- a cozy Prospect Heights bar with a rabble-rousing clientele -- could be found getting sloshed at an especially early hour on Sunday. At high noon, and with the assistance of a group of mildly drunken onlookers, manager Donald O'Finn wa ... More >>

As Atlantic Yards Gets Pricier, How Much Red Ink Can Ratner Absorb?

​Uberdeveloper-turned-Nets-owner Bruce Ratner better have some good meds, because this is rapidly shaping up to be a month of rapid mood swings for him and his Atlantic Yards project. While Tuesday's granting of a desperately needed investment-grade rating for the Nets arena bonds must have be ... More >>

Did Atlantic Yards Ruling Pass the Buck on 'Blight'?

Tuesday's Atlantic Yards decision, in which New York's highest court upheld the right of the state to seize private property on behalf of a mega-developer, will doubtlessly impact the lives of thousands of Brooklyn residents and be discussed for years to come. But the court backed off from a cen ... More >>

Atlantic Yards "Cloud" Lifted, But Fog Remains: What About the Bonds?

So is the long-heralded arrival of Atlantic Yards finally at hand, or what? According to the front page of today's Times (echoed on its sports page), the answer is yes: Following yesterday's appeals court ruling, which dismissed challenges to the state seizing private land for the Nets-arena-and-oth ... More >>

Ratner Wins Atlantic Yards Eminent Domain Appeal (Updated)

Bruce Ratner has dodged another bullet. The eminent domain challenge made by landholders in the footprint of Ratner's Atlantic Yard boondoggle has been tossed by the Court of Appeals. The business- and home-owners are being forced to accept hilariously low amounts of compensation to surrender thei ... More >>

Yet Another Atlantic Yards Lawsuit!

​It seems Bruce Ratner's Atlantic Yards boondoggle was getting another lawsuit just yesterday (it was in October, actually -- an appeal by local landholders whose property is being seized to make the big Brooklyn hole that was supposed to be a sports arena/shopping complex by now even bigger) ... More >>

Kelo outcome shows Atlantic Yards risk

The outcome of New York's embattled eminent domain development projects is called into question by the economic development project which made them possible. The Pfizer research facility at the center of the Kelo v. New London Supreme Court decision is closing, taking over 1,400 jobs with it. The 5 ... More >>

Meadowlands to Swap Nets to Newark for Concerts?

​Rumors of the Nets moving to Newark to join the Devils are as old as Jason Kidd's knees, but hoops-by-the-Ironbound may finally be a reality, as early as next season. After the Newark Star-Ledger reported yesterday that unnamed team sources were saying the Nets would consider a temporary relo ... More >>

As Appeal Goes Forward, MTA Hit With New Atlantic Yards Suit

Bruce Ratner and his Atlantic Yards project are really getting it in the neck this week. Tomorrow an appeal by landholders of the eminent domain seizure of their properties for the sports, shopping, office and residential mega-plan gets going in court. And now Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn, state s ... More >>

IBO Report: Atlantic Yards to Cost City Big, Rain Cash on Ratner

​This just hasn't been a good week for Bruce Ratner, the Nets owner who'd rather be the Nets' landlord. First, he unveils a new vision of his much-derided Atlantic Yards arena plan — now with more metal mesh! — and gets slammed by Times architecture critic Nicolai Ouroussoff for cr ... More >>

3rd Atlantic Yards Design Emitted

​ Today developer Bruce Ratner unveiled a third design for his stalled Atlantic Yards project. (The first had been done by architecture superstar Frank Gehry; when it was scrapped for "value engineering" reasons, Ratner engaged Ellerbe Becket, who delivered a Pee-Wee's Playhouse set; SHoP Arc ... More >>

Today Barclays-Atlantic Avenue, Tomorrow Disney-Times Square? MTA "Very Open" To Selling Subway Naming Rights

That resounding "Ewwwww!" you heard emanating from Brooklyn was the sound of locals discovering that as part of Bruce Ratner's revamped deal with the MTA for the Atlantic Yards site, he's set to get naming rights to the Atlantic Avenue subway station. If it's approved by the MTA board tomorrow as ex ... More >>

Ratner Avenue! Developer Gets MTA Atlantic Yards Windfall -- and Subway Station Naming Rights

Just when you think Bruce Ratner and his cockamamie Atlantic Yards project are down for the count, they get back up again -- assisted by the city's moneyed interests. The MTA just cut Forest City Ratner an amazing deal. As expected, he'll pay $100 million for the Vanderbilt Railyards -- but he on ... More >>

Atlantic Yards Combatants Finally Forced To Sit Through State Senate Hearing

The footprint. Image via Atlantic Yards or Atlantic Lots. Yesterday was the long-awaited — like, six years long — first state legislative hearing on Bruce Ratner's Atlantic Yards project, with State Senator Bill Perkins convening his Corporations, Authorities, and Commissions Committee ... More >>

Atlantic Yards Resists Court Challenge; More to Come

Don't rule out Atlantic Yards builder Bruce Ratner yet: though recent events show time is not on his side, the courts certainly have been. Today the Observer reports that another court challenge by opponents went Ratner's way: a suit against the state, charging that it improperly used eminent domai ... More >>

Stimulus for Atlantic Yards? New Depression Suggests Not

New York state will get some kind of stimulus money, but as a final bill hasn't been written yet, sources vary on how much assistance we'll get. Newsday says "at least" $20.5 billion; the Times says "more than $21 billion." The Jamestown Post-Journal says "$12.6 Billion in Direct Budget Relief," r ... More >>

What Decrepit Brooklyn Nabe Gets (In Dreams) This Gleaming Waterfront Park?

Times: Luxury Boxes Selling OK. (Also Selling on Craigslist.)

Will Crash Doom Atlantic Yards?

Atlantic Yards Showdown Over the Slowdown

Formal Opposition: Protesters Dress Down Brooklyn Museum Over Bruce Ratner Honor

Atlantic Yards Opponents Protest Brooklyn Museum’s Choice to Honor Bruce Ratner Tonight

Could the Bond Market Hurt Atlantic Yards Affordable Housing?

Who's Buried in Atlantic Yards?

A resistance movement drowning its sorrows during a pub quiz in Red Hook

Atlantic Yards Eminent Domain Fight Back in Court

All Quiet on the Western Yards

Atlantic Yards Foes Hope for a Silver Christmas

Secrets of the Ratner Plan Revealed! (Not)

Duck! It's Ratner Season in Brooklyn

Roaring Over Ratner

Life in the Footprint

Voices of the fading community in the shadow of the Atlantic Yards

State: Ratner Plan Won't Raise Rents

Celebrity War Over Ratner in Brooklyn

Atlantic Yards Lite?

Ratner Foes See Victory in 'Loss'

Nets Foes Shoot Suit

The Battle of Brooklyn

Grassroots groups split on whether arena plan scores for borough

'Fever' Pitch

Karaoke for a cause in Brooklyn; bitch sessions about bottle service

Ratner Rules

Brooklyn Nets Plan Spares Developer Shaya Boymelgreen's Project

Arena Watch

Websites That Explain How the New Nets Stadium Might Affect You

Beyond the Pansy Patch

In the future shadow of the Nets, a Brooklyn nabe remembers what's at stake

The Man Who Would Be Kings

Wannabe 'Brooklyn Nets' Owner Ratner Already Is a Man for All Subsidies