SATURDAY • AUGUST 14, 2004 Including The Brooklyn Heights Paper, Carroll Gardens-Cobble Hill Paper, DUMBO Paper, Fort Greene-Clinton Hill Paper and Downtown News Brooklyn’s REAL newspapers Published every Saturday — online all the time — by Brooklyn Paper Publications Inc, 55 Washington Street, Suite 624, Brooklyn NY 11201. Phone 718-834-9350 • www.BrooklynPapers.com • © 2004 Brooklyn Paper Publications • 16 pages • Vol. 27, No. 32 BWN • Saturday, August 14, 2004 • FREE CITY AGENCY TO PROBE RATNER PLAN By Deborah Kolben The Brooklyn Papers The Independent Budget Fiscal watchdog must rely Office will conduct an eco- nomic study of Bruce Rat- ner’s $2.5 billion Atlantic on developer’s cooperation Yards development, the city- funded fiscal watchdog “We have decided that we will tends to finance its contribution. reaching as high as 620 feet. An agency announced this week. take a look at it, but we don’t “Those are two very large initial presentation of Ratner’s Responding to requests from know what that means as far as open questions at the heart of project included designs by elected officials and opponents scope and timing,” said Doug Tu- what we would typically look renowned architect Frank Gehry. of the project, which Ratner esti- retsky, a spokesman for the IBO. at,” said Turetsky. Opponents of the massive mates will cost $2.5 billion to The developer is expected to Ratner is proposing to construct project have been urging the IBO complete, the agency agreed to seek both city and state subsidies a 21-acre, arena, office tower and to undertake a study ever since undertake the study, but said it but has not yet disclosed the residential village starting at the in- Ratner released an economic must receive detailed financial scope of his request. While May- tersection of Atlantic and Flatbush analysis he commissioned. information from Ratner’s com- or Michael Bloomberg has avenues and stretching six blocks “It is a victory,” said Prospect pany, Forest City Ratner, before pledged support for the project, it into Prospect Heights. Heights Councilwoman Letitia it can go ahead. is still unclear how the city in- The plan includes 17 buildings See PROBE on page 7 Bruce quietly buying Callan / Tom The Brooklyn Papers The Brooklyn up Prospect Heights Horsin’ around Gabriella Grafakos, 10, is nuzzled by a police horse at the 78th Precinct Youth Summer Camp Tues- By Deborah Kolben ers, are opposed to the project and have day, on Bergen Street and Sixth Avenue in Prospect Heights. The Brooklyn Papers placed anti-arena banners reading “No land grab” and “Hell no we won’t go” Over the past several months, along the outside of the building. developer Bruce Ratner has been Will Lashley, a film and video editor quietly plowing his way through who has lived in the building for nine Prospect Heights, purchasing ev- years, said he was concerned about erything property owners are will- what is going to happen. ing to sell. “We have not been offered any- New lease on life So far he has bought up a crumbling thing,” said Lashley, who has consulted furniture warehouse, a luxury condo- with an attorney about what will hap- minium building and, just recently, he pen to them if Ratner wants to tear Working piers to stick around closed on a four-story brick building down the building and put up another where he plans to build the tallest tow- in its place. without a lease since May and has The company was forced to give er in Brooklyn. “I don’t want to lose this apartment, By Deborah Kolben been battling with the Port Authori- up piers 11 and 12 to make way for The six-block stretch between Flat- what am I going to do. It’s going to The Brooklyn Papers ty over terms of a renewal ever a new passenger ship terminal the bush and Vanderbilt avenues, home to change my entire lifestyle. I might have After months of tense negotia- city is planning to build to attract upwards of 400 people, has never been to leave New York altogether,” said since. tions, American Stevedoring, cruise lines to Brooklyn. so popular. Lashley who pays “well under $1,000” “This is a huge victory for job which operates the last shipping Negotiations stalled over the past That’s because Ratner, principal of for his one bedroom apartment. preservation and he economic vitali- container port in Brooklyn, struck few months as American Stevedor- Forest City Ratner, is now looking to The previous owner of 624 Pacific ty of Brooklyn,” said Matt Yates, di- a deal with the Port Authority of ing angled for a three-year lease and construct Atlantic Yards, a residential, St., K.C. Shemtov, who described his rector of operations for American New York and New Jersey this pushed to keep Pier 11. retail and commercial development profession as “buy low, sell high,” is Stevedoring. Company officials said shipping centered around a basketball arena to also negotiating to sell his own offices week securing its space on the The new lease allows the compa- contracts generally run two-and-a- house his newly purchased New Jersey just a few doors down at 640 Pacific St. Red Hook piers until 2007. ny to stay at piers 8, 9 and 10 until Nets on that site. Shemtov declined to comment on The company has been operating May 2007. See PIERS on page 3 Just last month the developer pur- the selling price for either building. chased 624 Pacific St., a four-story In order to build the 8-million- / Jori Klein brick building off Flatbush Avenue, square-foot Atlantic Yards project, in- which is home to four rent-stabilized cluding a 19,000-seat arena and 17 apartments. towers, Ratner will either have to buy- Each tenant living there received let- out or ask the state to use eminent do- ters in the mail dated July 14 informing main to condemn over 11 acres of pri- Check out them that that the building had been vate property. The Brooklyn Papers The Brooklyn sold to an entity known as “Arena The loudest objection to the plan has Will Lashley and Leigh Anderson pose in front of 624 Coney Nominee Sub F, LLC,” and that rent been over the issue of eminent domain By Lisa J. Curtis Pacific St., a rental building recently bought by Bruce checks should be sent to Forest City — the power of the state to condemn Ratner. Lashley and Anderson, rent stabilized ten- Ratner’s main office at Metrotech. private land for public use — and in or- GO Brooklyn Editor THIS WEEKEND ants, have lived in the building for several years. The tenants, mostly artists and writ- See LAND on page 3 Coney Island fans can appreciate the charms of the beach and boardwalk in a whole new way at an exhibit now on display in the Brooklyn Public Library’s Grand Army Plaza branch. “Coney Island: Boardwalk Idyll” is an exhibition of paintings by artist Lewis Bryden. The artist began his “Boardwalk Idyll” series in 1980, and has lived NBA approves Nets sale in Brooklyn for 14 years. The paintings on display at the library range from a group of teens intently watching the progress of a Associated Press — it has moved three times — from Commu- proud of.’’ pinball wizard to a young woman and child taking a The Board of Governors of the Na- nity Young Organization. The borough has not had a major sports break in a fast food shack. In “Kiosk” (pictured), tional Basketball Association unani- Ratner plans to build a 19,000-seat arena franchise since baseball’s Dodgers left for Bryden paints a young, curvy sunbather against the that will be part of an office, residential and Los Angeles in 1957. boardwalk’s stark landscape and sharp-edged shad- mously approved the sale of the New shopping complex the developer estimates Ratner has come under criticism in recent ows in an arresting Edward Hopper-like style. Jersey Nets on Wednesday to an owner- will cost $2.5 billion to complete. weeks for cost-saving player moves that Curiously, amidst all of these amusements, Bry- ship group which plans to move the He hopes to complete the arena for the seemingly have hurt the Nets’ chances to be den’s subjects remain unsmiling. A visitor to the team to New York. 2007-2008 season. The entire project is ex- successful on the court next season. exhibit, however, will certainly be happy to The league expects the sale to the group pected to take 10 years to complete. All-Star power forward Kenyon Martin have made the trip. led by Brooklyn developer Bruce Ratner to “We’re very thankful to Commissioner was shipped to Denver last month after the “Coney Island: Boardwalk Idyll” is on dis- close next week. David Stern and the NBA’s Board of Gover- Nets realized that matching a proposed offer play in the Central Library’s Lobby Gallery Ratner has not yet asked permission from nors,’’ said a statement by Ratner. “We are sheet by the Nuggets would force them to pay through Aug. 21. The exhibition is free the NBA board to move the team to Brooklyn. humbled by this vote and excited about the him $23 million in salary and front-loaded and open during regular library He and his group will pay an estimated prospects of putting together a team that all bonuses before the start of the season. hours Tuesday through Saturday. $300 million to buy the much-traveled team Nets fans in the Metropolitan area can be — with The Brooklyn Papers BEGINSPAGE ON 8 Construction Exterminators Stairs See more FLOOR LEVEL ONE Cee Dee SANDING CONSTRUCTION CORP USA EXTERMINATORS PROFESSIONAL ALSO AVAILABLE HOME ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN • INTERIOR RENOVATIONS TERMITE, RODENT & INSECT CONTROL SPECIALISTS CONTRACTORS Residential • Commercial COMMERCIAL $100 OFF $15 OFF Broken or Missing IMPROVEMENT ANY “Safest Methods Used” ANY RESIDENTIAL TERMITE SVC SERVICE Baluster/Spindles CUSTOM RENOVATION SPECIALIST WITH THIS AD 718-832-0900 WITH THIS AD Weak or Broken Steps services LICENSED & BONDED #0836623 A Service Company You Can Depend On (Treads, Stringers or Risers) FULLY INSURED Licensed & Insured on the back page 1 (917) 847-8307 Call: 718-893-4006 ©The Brooklyn Papers.