I hear the sound of a helicopter circling outside, due north of my dining room. I am guessing it’s a news copter covering the groundbreaking ceremony over at the Atlantic Yards not all that far from my Third Street apartment.

Yup, today’s the day. After years, yes years, of protest, lawsuits and outrage, today is the official groundbreaking ceremony for Forest City Ratner’s Nets arena at the Atlantic Yards.

It should be quite a scene: Governor David Paterson, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and rapper Jay-Z, who is a part-owner of the Nets, are all on hand for the ceremony, which marks the next phase in construction of the 18,000-seat Barclays Center.

“As we break ground on the new Barclays Center, we break open new opportunities for a new generation of New Yorkers,” NY’s embattled governor told the crowd.

According to him, the construction of the Barclay Stadium will create 16,000 union construction jobs and 5,500 permanent jobs.

We shall see.

Next year, there are plans to build three residential buildings, a day care facility, senior center and health care facilities will be built.

If the economic downturn doesn’t stall those plans.

Last week, Developer Bruce Ratner of Forest City Ratner got approval from the State Supreme Court to use eminent domain to move the project forward.

Ah yes, Eminent Domain. Just look at New London, CT. to see what the abuse of eminent domain can mean to a city. That city used Eminent Domain as a way to knock down buildings to build a Pfizer factory. Well, Pfizer is now leaving and New London is left with vacant acres, where the factory was never built.

Read this excerpt from a November 12, 2009 article in the New York Times:

From the edge of the Thames River in New London, Conn., Michael Cristofaro surveyed the empty acres where his parents’ neighborhood had stood, before it became the crux of an epic battle over eminent domain

Michael Cristofaro in the field in New London, Conn., where his parents lived. The city seized the land for a private “urban village” that was never built. Pfizer’s complex is in the background.

City Councilman Robert M. Pero said, “I’m sure that there are people that are waiting out there to say, ‘I told you so.’”

“Look what they did,” Mr. Cristofaro said on Thursday. “They stole our home for economic development. It was all for Pfizer, and now they get up and walk away.”

At today’s ceremony, opponents of Ratner’s plan from Develop Don’t Destroy, wore masks of the governor, mayor and Marty Markowitz, president, as they gathered near the site.