1 september 2011

"Battle For Brooklyn"

"Battle for Brooklyn is an intimate look at the very public and passionate fight waged by residents and business owners of Brooklyn’s historic Prospect Heights neighborhood facing condemnation of their property to make way for the polarizing Atlantic Yards project, a massive plan to build 16 skyscrapers and a basketball arena for the New Jersey Nets. " (Battle for Brooklyn: about)


"The film focuses on graphic designer Daniel Goldstein whose apartment sits at what would be center court of the new arena.  A reluctant activist, Daniel is dragged into the fight because he can’t accept that the government should use the power of Eminent Domain to take his new apartment and hand it off to a private developer, Forest City Ratner.  The effort to stop the project pits him and his neighbors against Ratner and an entourage of lawyers and public relations emissaries, the government, as well as other residents who want the construction jobs, the basketball team, and the additional housing that the project might produce. " (Battle for Brooklyn: about)


On November 24, 2009, after approximately a six-year battle, New York’s high court, the Court of Appeals, ruled for Ratner and against Goldstein and other property owners and tenants. On March 11, 2010, Ratner held a groundbreaking ceremony at the project site.


Rendering of new Barclays Center Arena (atlanticyards.com)
Construction Progress on May 26, 2001


For more information on the project, go check the official site: Atlantic Yards
For more information on the documentary: Battle For Brooklyn


Sources:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rumur/battle-of-brooklyn
http://battleforbrooklyn.com/trailer
http://battleforbrooklyn.com/about
http://rumur.com/
http://www.atlanticyards.com/
http://www.shoparc.com/#/projects/featured
http://www.counterpunch.org/2011/09/06/the-battle-for-brooklyn/
http://www.dddb.net/php/latestnews_ArchiveDate.php
http://www.barclayscenter.com/
http://art-bridge.org/
Images courtesy of Atlantic Yards website

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