Here's the press release from Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn.
NEW
YORK, NY — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) was sued
today for the June 24th deal it made to sell its 8.5-acre Vanderbilt
Rail Yard to developer Forest City Ratner for its proposed 22-acre
Atlantic Yards plan in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn.
YORK, NY — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) was sued
today for the June 24th deal it made to sell its 8.5-acre Vanderbilt
Rail Yard to developer Forest City Ratner for its proposed 22-acre
Atlantic Yards plan in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn.
State Senator Velmanette Montgomery (18th District), Assemblymember Jim Brennan (44th District), Assemblymember Joan Millman (52nd District), NY City Councilmember Letitia James (35th District), NYPIRG/Straphangers Campaign and Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn filed the lawsuit. The suit was filed in State Supreme Court in Manhattan.
"While
the MTA is forcing service cuts and fare increases on the people of New
York, they are giving Forest City Ratner just about a free ride. We
have laws in this state that forbid these kinds of sweetheart deals.
You can’t short change the public to benefit a developer,” said lead
plaintiff, state Senator Velmanette Montgomery. “With the Atlantic
Yards, the MTA violated our legislation and the public trust. Their
sale of the Vanderbilt Yard to Ratner must be annulled."
the MTA is forcing service cuts and fare increases on the people of New
York, they are giving Forest City Ratner just about a free ride. We
have laws in this state that forbid these kinds of sweetheart deals.
You can’t short change the public to benefit a developer,” said lead
plaintiff, state Senator Velmanette Montgomery. “With the Atlantic
Yards, the MTA violated our legislation and the public trust. Their
sale of the Vanderbilt Yard to Ratner must be annulled."
The
suit seeks the annulment of the MTA’s deal to sell the rail yard to
Forest City Ratner because it violated requirements of legislation
meant to rein in the abuses of New York State’s public authorities. An
annulment would disallow the transfer of the property, which the
developer requires for its project, including its proposed basketball
arena, until the MTA complied with the law.
suit seeks the annulment of the MTA’s deal to sell the rail yard to
Forest City Ratner because it violated requirements of legislation
meant to rein in the abuses of New York State’s public authorities. An
annulment would disallow the transfer of the property, which the
developer requires for its project, including its proposed basketball
arena, until the MTA complied with the law.
The
petitioners charge, specifically, that the cash-strapped transit
authority violated the Public Authorities Accountability Act of 2005.
Under that legislation, which former Governor Pataki signed into law in
2006, MTA was required to obtain an independent appraisal of the
Vanderbilt Yard and seek out competitive offers for the property. The
MTA failed to fulfill either of these legal requirements when its Board
approved its new deal with Forest City Ratner on June 24th, 2009.
petitioners charge, specifically, that the cash-strapped transit
authority violated the Public Authorities Accountability Act of 2005.
Under that legislation, which former Governor Pataki signed into law in
2006, MTA was required to obtain an independent appraisal of the
Vanderbilt Yard and seek out competitive offers for the property. The
MTA failed to fulfill either of these legal requirements when its Board
approved its new deal with Forest City Ratner on June 24th, 2009.
"We
are asking the court to annul the MTA's agreement of this past June to
sell the Vanderbilt Rail Yard to Forest City Ratner, because the
agreement violated the procedural requirements of the Public
Authorities Accountability Act of 2005, which were put in place to
ensure that New York State's public authorities, including the MTA,
adhere to the highest ethical and professional standards when selling
their property. The MTA's deal to sell the Vanderbilt Rail Yard to Forest City Ratner did not meet those standards," said petitioners' attorney Randall Rasey of Barton, Barton & Plotkin.
are asking the court to annul the MTA's agreement of this past June to
sell the Vanderbilt Rail Yard to Forest City Ratner, because the
agreement violated the procedural requirements of the Public
Authorities Accountability Act of 2005, which were put in place to
ensure that New York State's public authorities, including the MTA,
adhere to the highest ethical and professional standards when selling
their property. The MTA's deal to sell the Vanderbilt Rail Yard to Forest City Ratner did not meet those standards," said petitioners' attorney Randall Rasey of Barton, Barton & Plotkin.
The legal briefs for the case—Montgomery et al. v. Metropolitan Transportation Authority et al. are at: http://dddb.net/MTAsuit