All charts and graphics by Abby Weissman, copyright 2006 Weissman Consulting
All numbers are based upon research and speculation. If you have the exact figures email us.
Note: If the pie chart on the right included ALL the units proposed in Atlantic Yards (not just the affordable housing sector) the complex would be almost 90% upper-mddle class and up (families earnings 86% upscale
An editorial: We always wanted to live next door to a self-contained steel & glass skyscraper development for the rich – complete with a huge sports arena, privileged wealthy residents, exclusive roof gardens (with a private skating rink!), and an upscale hotel and mall with a Hermès and Louis Vuitton store (just dreaming - at the very least they'll be an NBA store!).
Special thanks to Marty Markowitz, Bruce Ratner, Mike Bloomberg, George Pataki, Chuck Gargano, Frank Gehry, Jay Z, and of course Bertha Lewis (and ACORN) and Roger Green (and BUILD) for making our dreams of mass gentrification come true. In the meantime we hope not too many ACORN and BUILD members (and the real low-income residents and small business owners in the neighborhood) get priced out due to the coming gentrification explosion. As for the promised new "affordable" apartments: there may be at least a ten-year wait and a lottery for them – or they could be built off-site – if they ever get built at all.
One more thing: why are minority groups putting their faith in multimillionaires and billionaires like Ratner, Bloomberg or Pataki to look out for their interests - while ignoring the protests and real concerns of the mostly middle class homeowners and residents of the surrounding neighborhoods? Who has the most to gain, or lose from this project? Follow the money.
From our firsthand experience it seems many of the local supporters of the Atlantic Yards project actually know very little of the real facts and details behind it. They only know the PR-laden slogans such as "8% reduction" and "jobs, housing and hoops." If the low-income supporters really knew what was in store for them they would be very surprised and angry about being so manipulated by both Ratner and our own government. It is truly ironic that in reality this proposed mega-development will actually offer little or no real benefits to the low income minority residents of the surrounding areas, and may actually be detrimental.
Abby Weissman emailed Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz with questions about the sale of the Yards to Ratner for $100 million. Read his response and follow up correspondence.
Read about the promise & failure of Battery Park City and how 20,000 low-income apartments turned in 1,500.
The low-income housing "bait and switch" scam has happened before in NYC.
Read the article from The New York Times
about the city's broken pledge to the poor

Read City Project's The Failure of Battery Park City report. City Project is a non-partisan public policy organization.
What You Can Do Right Now!
It's important to express your opinion now to our local officials and representatives. Use these contact links NOW!
Contrary to what the Ratner people want you to think, the Atlantic Yards Development is NOT a done deal. Otherwise why would the Ratner Company still be paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in Public Relations? If it goes through we will paying for this fiasco for the rest of our lives!
STAY INFORMED!
Get the latest Atlantic Yards news daily by reading the following websites:
Watch the disturbing Web Documentary about
the August 23rd ESDC Meeting:
"HOW TO RIG A HEARING"
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The opinions and concepts expressed on this website are those of the individual author(s) and are not the official viewpoint of the organization. Reader corrections and feedback are appreciated.
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UPDATE ON THE ATLANTIC YARDS' LAWSUITS