Activists file motion to stop AY construction

A Brooklyn community group has filed a motion to halt work on the multi-billion dollar Atlantic Yards project in Prospect Heights, where construction has begun for an NBA basketball arena for the New Jersey Nets, the Brooklyn Eagle reported. The motion was filed last week in Manhattan Supreme Court, by community groups Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn and BrooklynSpeaks, in response to a judge granting a motion to reargue a previous ruling against petitioners’ claims that the project would take longer than the proposed 10 years. The next court date is set for Dec. 22. The motion seeks to halt construction until the state’s Empire State Development Corporation responds to the court order to reconsider the need for a supplemental environmental impact statement based upon the extended timeline. “The difference between 10 and 25 years is a long time to wait for affordable housing,” said Deb Howard, executive director of the Pratt Area Community Council. “The ESDC has abdicated its obligations to the public purse and the public interest. Now it’s time for the governor to put the interests of the people above those of a powerful real estate developer and commit to reform of Atlantic Yards governance.” [Brooklyn Eagle]