The School Construction Authority allegedly colluded with a Brooklyn developer to propose a sub-standard middle school on Dock Street in Dumbo. According to Freedom of Information Law documents that Council member David Yassky’s office obtained, the SCA knew that the proposed Dock Street middle school would be at a size “compromised from [the SCA's] standards with premium costs due to the mixed use with the high-rise residential building.” According to a report from Yassky’s office, the SCA knowingly withheld information on making the safest, largest, most cost-efficient school, while promoting the Dock Street plan.

Developers such as Lloyd Goldman, the Chetrit family and commercial broker Robert Knakal have recently opened their wallets as the citywide race for comptroller heats up, according to the most recent campaign finance documents filed last week. Brooklyn City Council member David Yassky took in the largest amount of contributions from real estate interests among the four major candidates for city comptroller, an analysis of the most recent reports from the city’s Campaign Finance Board, covering July 12 to August 10, by The Real Deal shows. But Yassky remains far behind Queens Council members Melinda Katz and John Liu in overall contributions, and is about tied with David Weprin, another Queens Council member. [more]

The City Council
is expected to vote tomorrow on Jed and David Walentas’ Dock Street
project in Dumbo, a 17-story residential building near the Brooklyn
Bridge that City Council member David Yassky says is too tall. Another
Council member, Letitia James, who is an opponent of the Atlantic Yards
project, has supported the Dock Street project because it will also
house a school. City Council speaker Christine Quinn is reportedly
supporting the project.

Bill de Blasio (left) and David Yassky

The blog Noticing New York looks at the professed views on development,
and specifically on the Atlantic Yards project, of all 15 candidates
running for City Council in the 33rd and 39th districts, including
current office holders. All of the candidates oppose the project, to
some degree or another, the blog says. In the 33rd district, current
City Council member David Yassky has said he never supported the
Atlantic Yards project, and that he doesn’t think the proposed plan
will be built because there isn’t funding for it. The 39th
district’s Council member, Bill de Blasio, said he became a supporter
of the project because it promised affordable housing, jobs and
community benefits, but said no further public subsidies should be
granted until there is evidence that the Community Benefits Agreement
will be adhered to. De Blasio said he can’t support an arena-only plan
for the site, and called for a moratorium on demolition until there is
a written plan on what will be built. [more]

The latest edition of The Real Deal’s Webcast is now online. The Real Deal
heads to One Brooklyn Bridge Park, the new luxury condo building that
has recorded some of the highest sales prices in the borough amid
controversy over the project. Reporter Jill Gardiner talks to Ian
Levine, chief financial officer and chief operating officer of RAL
Companies & Affiliates, which developed the project, and with City
Council Member David Yassky about the other controversial projects
proposed for the park.
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