Empire State Development Corporation

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 >>

Court Rules that Atlantic Yards Project Needs More Review, Developers Will Still Open Arena This Fall

In a feat for community groups that have been critical of the controversial Atlantic Yards development in Brooklyn, a judge has ruled that the project needs further review. But that's not stopping the developers from pushing forward with a central part of their plan: a new arena for the Nets, whic ... More >>

Andrew Cuomo's Empire State Fellows Program: Get Rich From Public Service

Sure, only a little bit more than half of the nation's youth have jobs these days, but that's no reason to feel down. If you're a young person in New York, you can get a real nice job with Governor Andrew Cuomo that pays up to $72,765 per year -- and will train you to be a politician! Who knew that ... 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 >>

(Most) Brooklyn Bridge Park Vendors on Track to Open in July

Looks even better with lobster rolls and wieners.​Early last month, the Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corp. announced its line-up of summer food and beverage vendors. A rep from Empire State Development told us that the vendors would probably be up and running by mid-July. According to Grub ... More >>

Brooklyn Bridge Park Announces Its Summer Food Vendor Line-Up

Now with lobster rolls, organic ice cream.​In March, the newly constructed Brooklyn Bridge Park was launched with a ceremony at Pier 1 attended by a lot of city politicians who stood around shivering in the drizzling rain. It was but a prelude to sunnier and more well-fed times: today, the Bro ... More >>

Happy MLK Day

​If your boss is part of the 28 percent who gave you the day off, congratulations! In The Bronx, some church groups are doing volunteer work in celebration and would love to have you; if they can't accommodate you, there's the Corporation for National and Community Service. Bronx assemblyman ... More >>

Bloomberg and Thompson: The (Really) Odd Couple

Now it can be told: The surprising ties between the billionaire mayor and the poor slob who ran against him

Court Deals Blow to Columbia's $6.3 Billion Harlem Land Grab (Updated)

A State Court of Appeals decided this afternoon that New York State was wrong to grant Columbia University eminent domain rights that enabled it to seize land from property owners whose businesses were located in the footprint of the university's expansion. This ruling marks the culmination of a ... 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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

Columbia Expansion: The University Alienates Another Friend

[Go here for our previous reporting on the perils of Columbia's expansion plans.]As recently as one year ago, the owner of the Cuban restaurant Floridita had allowed Columbia University to use his business as a poster child of its grand expansion into West Harlem. The owner, Ramon Diaz, even let the ... More >>

Setback for Atlantic Yards: Motion to Dismiss Denied

Supreme Court Declines to Hear Atlantic Yards Challenge

April Showers Bring Rally Calling for Atlantic Yards 'Time Out'

Let’s Do the Time Warp Again: Atlantic Yards as Interpretive Dance

Questions Await New Atlantic Yards Ombudsman

Big in Yonkers

Columbia foe buys house organ, ponders playing it

Roman Holiday

New York's ambassador lives high, large, and loose

The Magician's Nephew

The goods on Gargano: A seamy tale of nepotism on the Brooklyn waterfront

Atlantic Yards Foes Hope for a Silver Christmas

Harlem Suit: State Keeps Secrets

Secrets of the Ratner Plan Revealed! (Not)

Ratnerville: What Economic Impact Study?

Duck! It's Ratner Season in Brooklyn

Price Your Pork

Life in the Footprint

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

Ratner Foes See Victory in 'Loss'

Mets to Pay Nearly Nothing for New Stadium

Nets Foes Shoot Suit

'Times' to Commoners: Go Elsewhere

Don't soil our publicly subsidized new HQ with your riff-raff

A Queens Ransom

The Mets are in and the Jets are out, but where do the taxpayers fit in?

The Times' Sweetheart Deal

The paper gets huge subsidy, then sells old headquarters building for a huge profit

The Jets' End Run

Will Bloomberg and Pataki spend billions without legislative approval?

Ratner Rules

Brooklyn Nets Plan Spares Developer Shaya Boymelgreen's Project

Close-Up On: Boerum Hill

Pataki's Man in Harlem

How Randy Daniels Helped Put Chain Stores and Market Prices Uptown

The Paper of Wreckage

The 'Times' Bulldozes Its Way to a Sweetheart Land Deal You Will Pay For

Malloy's Mess

Pataki, Spitzer Protect Construction Union Biggie

Rebuilding at Ground Zero

Will Any of the Possibilities Really Be Considered?

Property Rights and Wrongs

East Harlem Suit Challenges Eminent Domain

Making Money Like Crazy

Out With the Poor, in With the Rich . . . and Into Lazio’s Coffers

Revolting Developments

Joe Rose in Spanish Harlem

Planning Commissioner Weighs Options for Factory Site

Pataki's Favorite Conservatives

Mike Long's party is feasting at the state trough