Although their establishment is set to be seized by eminent domain to make way for the Atlantic Yards development, supporters of Freddy’s Bar aren’t going down without a fight. In fact, Steve De Seve, a bar patron and founder of protest group “Fightin’ Freddy’s,” and bar manager Don O’Finn have emerged as some of the most vocal opponents of the Bruce Ratner project, recently staging a video protest outside the bar at 485 Dean Street in Downtown Brooklyn, and then appearing on Fox News to make their case. The pair said they plan to stage a sit-in at the bar, during which time they and others will handcuff themselves to the building, should city officials try to forcibly remove them. “What the neighborhood has done here is absolutely astounding,” O’Finn said of the support his bar has received. [more]

Atlantic Yards project opponent Freddy’s Bar, located at 485 Dean Street on the corner of Sixth Avenue in Downtown Brooklyn, has taken to the airwaves with a video (see above) of its protest.

The bar is one of many homes and businesses that would be displaced if the
development is allowed to go through — and the owners of the establishment
aren’t taking this lightly. At a ceremony in front of the bar, manager Donald O’Finn said that Freddy’s plans
to fight back against Atlantic Yards. “We urge all bars to join us in saying
‘no’ to the banks and their eminent domain property seizings,” O’Finn said.
O’Finn’s compatriots then used a beer can-guillotine to behead a faceless body with the words “eminent domain theft.” O’Finn said that Freddy’s plans to collect donations to help its cause.
[more]

Four buildings that may face condemnation, clockwise from top left: 479 Dean Street, 485 Dean Street, 636 Pacific Street, 491 Dean Street

The last remaining legal hurdle Atlantic Yards faces is a Court of Appeals hearing later this month on the project’s proposed use of eminent domain. If the court finds in favor of the defendant, the Empire State Development Corporation, the properties of several renters and owners are likely to be seized to make way for the development. Renters, owners and businesses in buildings such as 479 Dean Street, 485 Dean Street, and 636 Pacific Street in the Prospect Heights area of Brooklyn will face condemnation proceedings under eminent domain. A second phase of condemnation would include buildings like 491 Dean Street. If that happens, a firm called the Cornerstone Group will spearhead relocation efforts on behalf of a legal team the ESDC has contracted with. As The Real Deal examined in a story a few months ago, the city and state often use the Cornerstone Group in projects involving eminent domain, but the efficacy of the firm in helping residents and businesses find new places to live or work has often been questioned. A contract obtained by The Real Deal via a Freedom of Information Law request from the Empire State Development Corporation lays bear how much money Cornerstone is poised to make as the relocation point team on Atlantic Yards, as well as exactly how the firm is contractually obligated to help residents and businesses that need to be relocated. [more]