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If a political march is at the very least a representation of the population that supports the cause, then Brooklyn residents don't seem to be too concerned about potential plans for development of the Atlantic Yards project.
The argument over the construction of a new stadium for the Nets at the Atlantic Yards project has been taking place for a few years now, but somehow it has remained surprisingly low on the radar.
Maybe it has never really been an actual scare, or maybe the dedication of a select few Brooklyn residents has been enough to keep the project at bay.
The tens of people marching on Saturday for "Develop, Don't Destroy Brooklyn" seemed to be the only ones aware of the situation. As the crowd bullhorned around and through the Atlantic Yards area with the help of a small brass band and a large number of police escorts, passersby and local residents seemed utterly oblivious to the reason. There were few horns honking in support and a lot of sheepish grins.
At least the message was concise. Ratner's plan, with Bloomberg's support, was to house the Nets and at least 16 skyscrapers in the Prospect Heights/Park Slope area. DDDB is against it. Such plans would involve the demolition of multiple apartment buildings, including a sizable section of public housing.
If the building project does not begin by the end of this year, it will lose its tax exempt status and become too expensive to fund. It will still be a contested issue over the next couple months, but it's looking like Brooklyn will stave off its "Manhattanization" a while longer.
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Ahmadinejad's normal swagger has been muted, perhaps with the realization that his days of manipulating Russia against the West have ended.
Although there were not thousands of marchers on a cold day that threatened rain, I don't think it's fair to assume that "Brooklyn residents don't seem to be too concerned about potential plans for development of the Atlantic Yards project." Perhaps a better yardstick would be the thousands of people who have donated to DDDB, or the hundreds who have attended and testified at public hearings or have submitted written comments.
Also, perhaps part of the reason that "passersby and local residents seemed utterly oblivious" is the fact that the local mainstream media have been woefully under-reporting what would be one of the largest single-developer projects in New York history, and the large pile of taxpayer money that would be used. If the highest court in New York State feels it's important enough to hear oral arguments concerning the use of eminent domain for Atlantic Yards, and whose decision will have implications for the entire state and the country for many years, one might guess that it would be front-page news in at least the local press.
For thorough Atlantic Yards coverage, see Norman Oder's Atlantic Yards Report:
http://www.atlanticyardsreport.com
Lastly, one factual error: Atlantic Yards would *not* "...involve the demolition of...a sizable section of public housing."