Editor’s Note/Update: The March 16, 2008 Sunday Daily News reports that Governor Paterson will continue support of the Atlantic Yards/basketball arena in Brooklyn….
An interesting sideline to the change in the governorship in New York State is the strong anti-eminent domain policy that Lt. Governor David Paterson adopted as a member of the state legislature. As a result, several economic development projects across the Hudson, including the Atlantic Yards project in Brooklyn, which is slated to be the home of the New Jersey Nets in 2011, “could be derailed or delayed,” according to the New York Sun.
While Paterson was a state senator, he called for a statewide moratorium on the use of eminent domain.
As reported in the Sun on March 14:
Mr. Paterson said a decision handed down by the Supreme Court in the Kelo v. City of New London case could lead to a “gold rush” of eminent domain use across the state, The New York Sun reported at the time. He said he would gather legislators and introduce legislation to impose a moratorium on its use.
“He stood with me and proposed some legislation and I am very hopeful that the lieutenant governor and soon-to-be governor will honor his commitment and will either issue a moratorium or review the abuse of eminent domain across New York City,” [City Council Member Letitia] James said yesterday in an interview.
Ms. James’s district is in Brooklyn, and she opposes developer Bruce Ratner’s $4 billion Atlantic Yards project near downtown Brooklyn, which would require use of eminent domain.
Thus, there is the possibility that if Governor Paterson remains consistent with his prior position, that the Atlantic Yards project, already delayed by lawsuits, environmental reviews and other impediments, could be blocked. In turn, the question must be asked, particularly in light of recent public debate over whether the Prudential Center in Newark and Izod Center in East Rutherford can co-exist, whether this will have any impact on future development at the Meadowlands Complex or raise the potential of the Nets moving to Newark if the Atlantic Yards project falls through.
Mr. Ratner is planning to build a basketball arena and 16 mostly residential towers on 22 acres in Prospect Heights. The plans would remake the low-rise neighborhood with 8 million square feet of development, including more than 6,000 apartments, “affordable” housing, and office and retail space in a complex designed by architect Frank Gehry.
Perhaps the new New York Governor can reconcile his prior views with the broader economic development goals of New York City Mayor Bloomberg and others in the city and the state, perhaps not. One thing is certain; the impact of how New York approaches eminent domain will be felt in New Jersey, regardless.
