The 421-a reform bill that the Legislature is expected to approve today appears to offer a loophole for Forest City Ratner’s Atlantic Yards project in Brooklyn. One of the most significant changes to the 421-a tax abatement program is that it will require developers to build affordable housing on-site at their projects. One section of the bill, however, exempts “a multi-phase project… [with] at least 2,500 dwelling units…” from the on-site stipulation, a reference to the Atlantic Yards development. Forest City will be able to put its 20 percent affordable housing anywhere in the 16-building complex and still receive tax abatements for market-rate condominiums. The exemption, therefore, opens the door for economic segregation at Atlantic Yards, since it will allow Forest City to build most of its buildings with market-rate units while designating some of them specifically for affordable housing. more [NYO]