squabbling over Atlantic Yards; toilets go through though

Glass towers


Glass toilets

Ah, the ongoing dispute of the Atlantic Yards, especially as the pared down design was revealed yesterday by Frank Gehry and Laurie Olin. Of course it was quickly shot down by community organizations. They felt that it remained over-sized for that part of Brooklyn and there are still ongoing complaints about not soliciting community advise.

At this point in the process, I don't see how Ratner et al would seek community feedback from people who have been their main detractors, especially when the development group has a community benefits agreement in their back pocket. I wish it weren't so, but it's too late for widespread community input. Just a dose of reality. Then again, if all this fuss wasn't made, then there would have been no pressure to attempt to scale back the design. (And still no word on transportation impacts...)

At the same time, the new public toilets/bus shelters from Cemusa are quietly making their entrance. The Franchise and Concession Review Committee is expected to approve the project on Monday.

Public toilets? $1.4 billion from the city
Atlantic Yards? nearly $1 billion from the city

Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn's statement on the new Atlantic Yards design
NY Times article on the new design
And about the toilets