WIN A MAGNIFICENT HONEYMOON CRUISE — EASY ENTRY ON PAGE 2 BROOKLYN’S REAL NEWSPAPERS Including The Brooklyn Heights Paper, Carroll Gardens-Cobble Hill Paper, DUMBO Published every Saturday — online all the time — by Brooklyn Paper Publications Inc, Paper and 55 Washington St, Suite 624, Brooklyn NY the Downtown News 11201. Phone 718-834-9350 • www.Br ooklynPapers.com • © 2005 Brooklyn Paper Publications • 20 pages •Vol.28, No. 23 BWN •Saturday, June 4, 2005 • COUNCIL WON’T LISTEN FREE Public barred from hearing on Ratner plan By Jess Wisloski The Brooklyn Papers ment testimonials by elected offi- The only public hearing before cials and representatives of the de- a committee of the City Council veloper, Forest City Ratner, to go on project’s footprint. on the Atlantic Yards project was for more than two hours. The room designated for the held in a room so small that “The general public didn’t get to hearing, at 250 Broadway, one dozens of people — including, speak,” said Daniel Goldstein, a block from City Hall, had only 50 for a time, Borough President persistent critic of the plan to build chairs, but at least 100 people Marty Markowitz — were barred high-rise housing and office build- showed up. by police from entering. ings as well as an arena for the The room was crowded early by New Jersey Nets. organized proponents of the Ratner “I’m supposed to be in there,” Even for those who did get into project, including trade union Markowitz yelled at the officers. the May 26 hearing, there was little “[Committee Chairman James] members and members of BUILD Gesturing to the officials inside, he time for public input, although the Sanders cut it off at five [o’clock] (Brooklyn United for Innovative asked an aide, “Do they know who committee allowed pro-develop- for no apparent reason other than he just felt like leaving,” said Gold- Local Development). I am?” stein, who owns a home inside the But even BUILD’s president, To project opponents, who grav- James Caldwell, a staunch Ratner itated towards him as he was let in, ally, expressed annoyance. he said, “Nobody’s getting locked “A regular person that’s not in- out. Everybody’s going to be heard.” volved in the project didn’t come Inside the hearing, Markowitz close to getting a chance to speak,” touted the plan, saying, “This is a Caldwell said. “They should’ve cause for celebration.” cut back on some of the politicians Two hours after the hearing began, that were speaking, and given an a steadfast group of project oppo- opportunity to have some of the nents continued to wait, hoping to get public speak.” inside. Reporters without Police Depart- A guard working at the security ment credentials who arrived after desk, Elias Cabrera, explained that to the room was filled were prevented enter, people had to be pre-registered from entering the building, and re- as speakers, and pointed to a printed porters with credentials had to seek list prepared in advance. special permission to enter. Ken Diamondstone, a Community Several reporters were personal- Board 2 member waiting in the lob- / Jori Klein ly ushered upstairs to the hearing by, said, “So many people are en- by Forest City staff. gaged at this point, they should’ve Markowitz, a champion of the known there would be a massive project, who arrived at the building turnout.” a few minutes after the hearing’s 1 City Council spokeswoman Leti- pm scheduled start, was stopped at cia Theodore said the policy of the The Brooklyn Papers a revolving door by three police of- council is to provide a forum to any- City Council member David Yassky during testimony by ACORN ficers who blocked his passage, one who chooses to speak, but the Executive Director Bertha Lewis at the Atlantic Yards hearing on saying they couldn’t let him in. room did not have enough space. May 26. In a deal that was “sealed with a kiss,” Lewis last week ac- Markowitz found himself on the “I don’t think they knew how same side of the glass doors as cepted the role of Ratner’s community advocate. many people were going to be here,” about 50 of the plan’s opponents, she said. some of whom shouted, “We’re g- The hearing was moderated by etting locked out!” and “They’re / Jori Klein Councilman Sanders, who on May trying to silence us!” 19 attended an event to promote a Coney Island City Council member Domenic M. Recchia, Jr., puts his head in his hand during testi- memorandum of understanding mony at last week’s Atlantic Yards hearing in Manhattan. agreed to by Ratner, the city, and the housing group ACORN, at which Ratner site expands — into Park Slope ACORN Executive Director Bertha The Brooklyn PapersLewis kissed Mayor Michael By Jess Wisloski Bloomberg and Bruce Ratner. The Brooklyn Papers Also attending the hearing were day, a presentation by Forest City Ratner Council Speaker Gifford Miller Atlantic Yards is stretching out — said the developer was considering plans to and Councilmembers Eric Gioia, and into Park Slope. greatly increase the amount of housing on increase the number of housing units from Lewis Fidler, Charles Barron, The massive high-rise development has the site, both by scaling back the amount of 4,500 to at least 6,000 or possibly 7,300, Yvette Clarke, Bill deBlasio, Erik until now been described as stretching east office and retail space and by expanding the and include a 187,000-square-foot hotel in space. Street-level retail, originally projected Martin Dilan, Letitia James, Domenic Recchia, Jr., Diana Rey- into Prospect Heights from the intersection site westward — jumping over Flatbush a 620-foot tower at the intersection of At- for 307,000 square feet, would be reduced to na and David Yassky. of Flatbush and Atlantic avenues. Ave nue to include plots now occupied by lantic and Flatbush avenues. 227,000, according to the plan. Ratner-booster Marie Louis, first vice- But at a City Council hearing last Thurs- Modell’s and PC Richard & Son. Most of the council members Two-million one-hundred-thousand square The presentation was made by Forest president of BUILD (Brooklyn United for In- left by the time the public had an feet of office space in three of four towers The presentation, shown at the May 26 City Ratner Executive Vice President James novative Local Development), said after the opportunity to speak. hearing, indicated that the developer might originally planned in the project’s design Stuckey and ACORN Executive Director hearing that she was not concerned that a re- “Marty didn’t come to listen, he would be replaced with housing, reducing to Bertha Lewis. In a deal “sealed with a kiss,” duction in office space could reduce employ- just came to say his thing and then 428,000 square feet the amount of office ACORN was designated last week to ment opportunities for area residents. left,” said Goldstein, whose prepared process applications for the project’s low-, “Our contentions continue to be that testimony was interrupted repeatedly moderate- and middle-income units. whatever is going there, there have to be by the Chair and then cut short. E opportunities for the community to take ad- “[Speaker] Giff Miller came for V vantage of it,” she said. five minutes, said his thing and left I — it’s hard to get an elected to listen S U See RATNER L on page 5 C X JILTED E Neighbors mourn Kleinfeld’s flight By Jotham Sederstrom The Brooklyn Papers Among the gift registries, wedding gown merchants and tuxedo outlets along Fifth Avenue’s Bridal Row, Legends Sporting Manuel Harlan Goods — with its caps, bats and jockstraps — is an anomaly. But after Kleinfeld Bridal said last week that it Redgrave on the way would move to Manhattan this summer, abandon- In an exclusive interview with GO Brooklyn, newly installed director Tony Harrison ing Bay Ridge after 64 years, Legends’ owner speaks frankly about the behind-the-scenes turmoil of “Hecuba,” starring Vanessa said he shares the fears of his nuptial-minded Redgrave (above center). Euripides’ play comes to the Brooklyn Academy of Music neighbors. on June 17. / Tom Callan See page 9. “They draw a huge crowd, they always have,” said Andy Lanza, who opened his sporting goods store at 8224 Fifth Ave., a few buildings south of Kleinfeld, 20 years ago. “And a lot of stores here All American, baby! See JILTED BY KLEINFELD on page 6 Kristen Kupper, 2, leaves no doubt of her patriotic allegiance as she watches the Bay Ridge Memorial The Brooklyn Papers NOW Parade on Third Avenue Monday. BROOKLYN’S REAL NEWSPAPERS Including The Brooklyn Heights Paper, Carroll Gardens-Cobble Hill Paper, DUMBO Paper and the Downtown News Published every Saturday — online all the time — by Brooklyn Paper Publications Inc, 55 Washington St, Suite 624, Brooklyn NY 11201. Phone 718-834-9350 • www.BrooklynPapers.com • © 2005 Brooklyn Paper Publications • 16 pages • Vol. 28, No. 22 BWN • Saturday, May 28, 2005 • FREE ONLINE! BROOKLYN’S REAL NEWSPAPERS SEALED WITH A KISS Including The Bensonhurst Paper Ratner, mayor, ACORN, agree on housing plan Published every Saturday — online all the time — by Brooklyn Paper Publications Inc, 55 Washington St, Suite 624, Brooklyn NY 11201. Phone 718-834-9350 • www.BrooklynPapers.com • © 2005 Brooklyn Paper Publications • 16 pages • Vol. 28, No. 22 BRZ • Saturday, May 28, 2005 • FREE By Jess Wisloski ACORN — an acronym for the Asso- The Brooklyn Papers ciation of Community Organizations for Reform Now — would be responsible for A deal binding a community organ- processing applications for the low-, mod- ization to developer Bruce Ratner’s con- erate- and middle-income units.