Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park Report

At Advisory Board Meeting, New Focus on Affordable Housing ( link ) Negotiator of original ACORN housing deal points to unmet promises regarding level of affordability and family-sized units. What are the costs to make it work?

I recently wrote : Does anyone, outside of the principals, know the ownership stakes in Brooklyn Ascending Land Co., LLC, the legal entity that apparently owns Atlantic Yards while the “permitted developer,” a team involving funder Cirrus Workforce Housing and the development company LCOR, steer the project? Well, I haven't been able to drill down on that. But I have found, in both New York State and Delaware databases, a good number of entities that seem to have a role in the project. In New York A search of the Division of Corporations of New York State's Department of State turns up three limited liability companies (LLCs) with the name "Brooklyn Ascending" as part of their name. (For the purpose of acronym avoidance, I'm cutting "LLC" from their formal names.) Well, Brooklyn Ascending Developer (formed 5/8/25) and Brooklyn Ascending Site 5 Developer (formed 9/9/25)  are both domestic limited liability companies (LLCs). They're represented by the...

As Developers Propose Much Larger Buildings, Their Renderings Distort Reality ( link ) Images downplay proposed changes while inflating what's been approved. The claimed 20% increase in bulk translates to 46% at the railyard but 71% at five sites (or 99% at four?).  

Questions for the Atlantic Yards CDC Meeting ( link ) Was the "Feasible Alternative" depicted feasibly? (Not quite.) Do new developers seek just a 20% increase in bulk, & should they get it for free? Why no plans for lower-income units?

The Barclays Center last week released its December 2025 calendar of events: 13 ticketed events including six Brooklyn Nets games, six concerts and a women's college basketball tournament--but no New Year's Eve show. That said, there is an unspecified "private event" on New Year's Eve, lasting from 8 pm through 12:30 am. It's unclear whether it's a large event, like a worship service or a private concert, or whether it's a small event confined to one of the arena's premium spaces. If it's a large event, they should let neighbors know, given the possibility of crowds. This is the second year of the Shark Beauty Women’s Champions Classic , a doubleheader again featuring women’s college basketball teams from UConn, Tennessee, Iowa & Louisville. (Shark Beauty sells hair care tools.) December 2024 In December 2025, there were 15 ticketed events including five Brooklyn Nets games, two college basketball tournaments, and eight concerts--but no New...

Who Owns What In the Project? What Are the Project's Real Variables? ( link ) When I asked about ownership, I got the runaround. Previously, a risky structure undermined the project. Plus: doesn't public investment require more financial transparency?

"Public-private development is failing the public. How can we fix it?" A virtual panel discussion on that topic is set for December 15 at 7 pm, sponsored by The City Club of New York , the Atlantic Yards advocacy group BrooklynSpeaks , and Voices of the Waterfront , which has challenged, and is responding to, the Brooklyn Marine Terminal redevelopment plan.  Register here . The description: City and State governments increasingly rely on public-private development partnerships to provide public goods such as affordable housing, open space, and job creation. But recent experience with approved projects like Penn Station and Atlantic Yards , as well as questions about proposed projects like the Brooklyn Marine Terminal , raise concerns about major development projects not meeting their stated public commitments. Join us for a discussion of why it has been difficult to realize commitments for public benefits from government-sponsored development projects, and what can be done t...

OK, the agenda for the Dec. 2 meeting of the (purportedly) advisory Atlantic Yards Community Development Corporation has been posted online . (Here's info on meeting attendance, broadcast, and public comments.)  The agenda includes not only an update on the community engagement plan--the first of four workshops was held Nov. 18--but also a development team presentation. Here's the slideshow from the first workshop, and my coverage , including video. Let's see if the development team faces any questions about, say, their  apparent expectation that they should get additional development rights for free, whether they could deliver "abundant" green spaces if the population outpaces it, or whether they plan any low-income housing . The presentation Nov. 18 didn't offer the public any opportunity to question the developers.

Developers' Affordable Housing Rhetoric Suggests Low-Income Units Not a Priority ( link )  Promised faster buildout would dampen increases in base rents, but skyrocketing Area Median Income has taken its toll. Lowest 1-BR rent: $2,430? Most "affordable" households earning $100K+?