Mass Evacuation at 475 Dean
We got a request from residents of 475 Dean to post this notice about a pre-emptive stoop sale before the entire building is evacuated: "The building (475 Dean) is actually in the Ratner footprint, so the sale is actually a purge/prepfor the evacuation of the building in January." Believe in "The Resistance" all you want -- people are being forcibly evicted leaving, buildings are coming down, neighborhoods are going to be erased... it's all becoming very real. And it's not Beijing. It's the United States.
THEY'RE DEMOLISHING OUR BUILDING,
WE'RE SELLING OUR STUFF
The lovely and doomed 475 Dean Street is holding a building-wide sidewalk sale this coming Sunday, from noon til sundown. Expect a huge array of random stuff, including clothes, furniture, music and obscure tchotchkes. At least one yellow toboggan will be on sale.
Comments
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Subject: Re: Mass Evacuation at 475 Dean
dailyheights wrote: people are being forcibly evicted, buildings are coming down, neighborhoods are going to be erased... it's all becoming very real. And it's not Beijing. It's the United States.
Is this true? Are people really being "forcibly evicted"? Have the tenants been advised as to a date the building is coming down? -
Eh... not for most of them. My bad. I think that most have accepted some sort of deal with Ratner. Read:
"There also are 11 homeowners of a co-op building at 475 Dean St. who have yet to sell, but they are in negotiations with Ratner. Those who sold have gotten twice what they paid for their apartments, between $650 and $850 per square foot."
"'It's not a matter of money,' said Bruns, who loves his 1,550-square-foot loft. 'I should be free to choose an offer, not forced to take an offer,' he said. 'That's not the American way.'"
"The holdouts risk receiving much less for their homes if the city forces them to sell in condemnation proceedings, said lawyer Robert Goldstein, a real estate law expert."
Source: http://www.fillmore.com/article_lofty_ideas.asp
Also, check out this video essay about 475 Dean:
VIDEO: 475 Dean Street [New York Voices on thirteen.org]
"...This grand Brooklyn development [Ratner's arena] would be located primarily over the Long Island Railroad yards near Atlantic Avenue, but would also extend into the adjacent neighborhood of Prospect Heights. To make room for the arena plan, four city blocks would be taken by the state under eminent domain and demolished."
"This piece focuses on one building in the footprint of the proposed arena, 475 Dean Street. The building is a converted garment factory occupied by several well-known artists, some who first moved there during the early 1980s when few people wanted to live in the neighborhood. On December 11, 2003, the residents read about a press conference in the newspaper and found out that under the current plan their homes would be demolished."
http://www.thirteen.org/nyvoices/features/brooklyn_bounce.html -
dailyheights wrote: My bad.
Oh, I wasn't being critical of YOU ... it just sounded SO extreme, it was shocking to me. -
Subject: 475 Dean
Daily Heights, you are confusing Vince Bruns with 475 Dean, Vince doesn't live there.
475 Dean WAS made of coop owners who lived there, and coop owners who were absentee landlords with tenants.
The owners made deals, I don't know the buyout price, but suffice it to say the owners made out well (especially the one's who bought 20 years ago) and the tenants got screwed.
I don't have much nice to say about the owners at 475.
as far as the henny penny chicken little announcement. nothing is being demolished until approvals. that is a long way away if we ever get there.
but here is some news you can use besides a bunch of tchokes for sale in front of 475.
Scoping has formally begun with the ESDC's release of the proposed
scoping document. . . here is a more direct link to that (40-some
page) document which starts with the purpose and need, and includes
scope of the proposed FCRC project:
http://www.nylovesbiz.com/popup/features.asp?id=41
The hearing will be on October 18, but public comments can be
submitted through October 28. -
Subject: Re: 475 Dean
pacific wrote: Scoping has formally begun with the ESDC's release of the proposed scoping document
Lotsa info there. Who will be preparing the Environmental Impact Statement? Or is that work going to be competitively bid through ESDC? -
is 475 dean right next to newswalk?
what about the merchant house condos...the owners there must've closed within the past year. it is between carlton/vanderbilt on the south side of dean.... -
Is 475 dean right next to newswalk?
No, 475 Dean is 3 buildings down from Freddy's, towards Flatbush. The tallest building on the block, set back behind a parking lot. Louise Bourgeoise's studio WAS in the basement.
what about the merchant house condos...the owners there must've closed within the past year. it is between carlton/vanderbilt on the south side of dean.
The merchant house condos, which are new, are (un)fortunately just on the other side of the footprint. -
Lotsa info there. Who will be preparing the Environmental Impact Statement? Or is that work going to be competitively bid through ESDC?
Guess who prepares the EIS? Ratner does. He hires a firm called AKRF (http://www.akrf.com), which does EIS for most big city projects. Just think of them as the Halliburton of NYC. Oh wait, the Halliburton of NYC is FCR.
Developer Driven Project From Unveiling to EIS to Groundbreaking©
Check out the draft scoping document when you have time. -
Anonymous wrote: Guess who prepares the EIS? Ratner does.
I've worked on a number of City and State development projects; but I was completely unaware that in the private development world, the developers themselves hired the EIS consultant.
I've tried to remain open-minded and relatively neutral about this whole thing, but THAT really, is a bit much, in my opinion. -
Anonymous wrote:
well duh, that's just the way the law is structured. i mean there are reasons to be alarmist, but that isn't one of them. all EISs are drafted by the entity proposing the project. its a conflict of interest to some degree yes, but that flaw goes to the law itself, not anyconspiracy involving ratner.
Guess who prepares the EIS? Ratner does. -
t-fal wrote: well duh, that's just the way the law is structured ... its a conflict of interest to some degree yes, but that flaw goes to the law itself, not anyconspiracy involving ratner.
Well, I will admit to my own ignorance, and surprise, that the law is such that in extraordinarily complex private development projects such as this the proposing entity would prepare the EIS. Again, my background is more heavily weighted toward public versus private development. "Duh," isn't necessary. We can't know everything. And I don't see this as part of any 'conspiracy.' -
well in terms of federal EISs that is, states and local authorities will have a different scheme. the EIS thing is nothing more than another series of steps in the development permitting process, but its focus is on the land upon which the project will proceed, and the surrounding areas, including impacts on floral and faunal species, as opposed to the building itself. also if i remember correctly, there is a draft submitted, then something akin to an notice and comment period, then a final statement made. my post, and especially my "duh" wasn't really directed at you flute, but at someone who didn't even have the guts to attach a name to their words, and was raising the implication of a conflict of interest, as if it was some major alarming departure from the way things are normally done. there are a ton of shady goings on with this project, but the fact that ratner will be preparing the EIS, or farming it out to a company who does this, is no big deal. its how the law is structured.
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Anonymous wrote: Guess who prepares the EIS? Ratner does. He hires a firm called AKRF (http://www.akrf.com), which does EIS for most big city projects. Just think of them as the Halliburton of NYC.
One of my close friends has worked there for 5+ years. I have difficulty believing this. -
The owners at 475 Dean have made out like bandits (some have doubled their money) so I don't feel any sympathy at all. I say "take the money and run"!
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Chimay7 wrote: The owners at 475 Dean have made out like bandits (some have doubled their money) so I don't feel any sympathy at all. I say "take the money and run"!
It sounds like not everyone who has to leave is making out so well.pacific wrote: 475 Dean WAS made of coop owners who lived there, and coop owners who were absentee landlords with tenants.
...the owners made out well (especially the one's who bought 20 years ago) and the tenants got screwed. -
well, they had lots of good things for sale.... umm.... sucks!
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BTW as stoop sales go, it sucked. daily heights, you was duped.
But this bit of public education about EIS makes it all worth it . . .
Why wouldn't the company filing to build be hiring a firm to do the impact study -- how else do you think it would work? If you have evidence of actual corruption, feed it to a (non NYT) reporter ! -
Subject: guest
The "guest" was me. and i wasn't claiming corruption or conflict of interest. What i'm claiming is the an environmental review process that has the developer writing the analysis of the impacts of the project, is inherently....troubling. But its the process we need to contend with .
The numerous EIS's documents and hearings i've read and witnessed are, to be blunt, a joke. -
Remaining neutral, you must as well just keep your head to the sidewalk, this stuff is just the tip of the iceberg. There is no room for neutrality!
FLUTE wrote: [quote=Anonymous]Guess who prepares the EIS? Ratner does.
I've worked on a number of City and State development projects; but I was completely unaware that in the private development world, the developers themselves hired the EIS consultant.
I've tried to remain open-minded and relatively neutral about this whole thing, but THAT really, is a bit much, in my opinion. -
Anonymous wrote: There is no room for neutrality!
Sorry, I've decided to remain neutral for the time being and see how it all plays out over the next few months. There seems to be a good bit of mis-information and out-of-control vitriol coming from both sides of the table at this point. It's really disturbing. -
FLUTE wrote: [quote=Anonymous]There is no room for neutrality!
Sorry, I've decided to remain neutral for the time being and see how it all plays out over the next few months. There seems to be a good bit of mis-information and out-of-control vitriol coming from both sides of the table at this point. It's really disturbing.
I'm curious about what would convince you either way. What do you think the benefits and drawbacks of the project are? Are you aware how large the Ratner project will be? I viscerally oppose the project, and I do tend toward vitriol, but there are some reasonable people who support the project, and I would like to do my best to change their minds.
What sort of misinformation do you think has come out of the anti-Ratner side? -
raulism wrote: Are you aware how large the Ratner project will be?
Yes, I am aware of the magnitude of the project that has been proposed. But I am also aware that there are numerous factors that will have impacts, small and large, on what, ultimately, is built on the site. I believe that the economy, the housing market, the community, and even time itself, will make this a project that will remain in flux until a shovel is actually put into the ground. I've seen this on other large developments and I think this one will be no different.
And just because I personally have decided to take a 'wait and see' attitude toward this project does not mean I think others should as well. -
With respect to the environmental impact of this massive project - there's no time left to wait and see. The environmental impact study has begun and the period for public comments ends October 28. This is basically the only opportunity for the community to say what's it's concerned about. (We can comment later on the draft of the EIS, but that's akin to correcting typos).
So if you're wondering about rat infestion during construction, traffic due to the demapping of streets, how they'll get more people onto a rush hour Q train, air quality, the impact of 14,000 new residents on services... now's the time to make sure that it gets into the study.
And sadly, we can't assume that these issues will be pursued by our elected officials or community boards.
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