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Update: Holdout No More! Goldstein Will Move for $3 Million
By
Ben Yakas
Published Apr 21, 2010
Modified Apr 21, 2010
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Apr 21, 2010
Modified Apr 21, 2010
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The Atlantic Yards project is really, really underway after years of controversy and setbacks, and yesterday brought another reminder of that reality when seven of the final holdout families still living in Pacific St. apartments signed an agreement with developer Bruce Ratner to leave by May 7. Which of course leaves just one final holdout: Daniel Goldstein. Update: Now Goldstein is moving, after getting $3 million from Ratner. [More details below]
“We have successfully worked to find comparable or better housing for every family in the footprint except one,” said MaryAnne Gilmartin, the Forest City Ratner executive in charge of Atlantic Yards, without specifically naming who the hold out was. The seven tenants who settled will be offered apartments in the “first new residential building at Atlantic Yards” and Ratner will cover the difference in their rents in the meantime, Brooklyn Paper reports. The Daily News talked to two of those residents, and found mixed sentiments: Elizabeth Nazario was "very comfortable" with moving, but neighbor Wanda Candelario was "not very happy...they told me I had to go."
Today, Goldstein, his wife and 1-year-old daughter are challenging the motion to kick them out of their apartment by May 17; although Goldstein has already made concessions toward moving out, he thinks he and his family "deserve ... a fair and reasonable amount of time to find a new, suitable home." The state offered him $510,000 for his three-bedroom unit in November, which he originally paid $590,000 for. Goldstein's lawyer Mike Rikon called the low-balling a punishment for Goldstein's outspoken opposition: "I've been practicing eminent domain law exclusively for 41 years and I've never seen this. There is no question it's vindictive and mean."
A large part of Goldstein's life has revolved around the Atlantic Yards site; he's acted as the spokesman for the anti-Atlantic Yards movement, starting the group Develop—Don't Destroy Brooklyn. He also met his wife while organizing against Ratner.
Update: The long-time chief critic of Bruce Ratner and the Atlantic Yards project agreed today to a $3 million deal to move out of his home. "If I'm going to be forced out of my home in very quick measure, I want to be paid for it," Goldstein said. He and his family will have to move out by May 7. City Room adds this report: "According to executives who have been briefed on the negotiations, Mr. Goldstein also agreed to a highly modified form of the gag agreement that Forest City had initially imposed on those it bought out, under which he would step down as spokesman for Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn."
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Atlantic Yards
brooklyn
Bruce Ratner
Daniel Goldstein
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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