page_title: Pacific Park, Brooklyn
section_title: Controversy
hierarchical_section_title: Pacific Park, Brooklyn / Public opinion / Controversy
caption_attribution_description: English: State of New York Court of Appeals Albany, New York October 14, 2009 No. 178 Matter of Goldstein v New York State Urban Development Corporation "This proceeding challenges the use of eminent domain by the Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC) to take property on the site of the proposed Atlantic Yards project in downtown Brooklyn for development for Forest City Ratner Companies."
context_page_description: Pacific Park is a mixed-use commercial and residential development project that will consist of 17 high-rise buildings, under construction in Prospect Heights, adjacent to Downtown Brooklyn and Fort Greene in Brooklyn, New York City. The project overlaps part of the Atlantic Terminal Urban Renewal Area, but also extends toward the adjacent brownstone neighborhood. Of the 22-acre project, 8.4 acres is located over a Long Island Rail Road train yard. A major component of the project is the Barclays Center sports arena, which opened on September 21, 2012. Formerly named Atlantic Yards, the developer renamed the project in August 2014 as part of a rebranding.
  The development of Pacific Park is overseen by the Empire State Development Corporation. As of 2018, four of fifteen planned buildings had opened, but the deadline was delayed by about 10 years from 2025 to 2035. The residential component includes the world's tallest modular apartment building, 461 Dean, opened in November 2016.
context_section_description: In a Huffington Post blog, Daniel Goldstein called Pacific Park, then named Atlantic Yards, "a corrupt land grab," "a taxpayer ripoff", "a bait and switch of epic proportions", and "a complete failure of democracy." Goldstein, who co-founded Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn and was the last remaining homeowner (the condo apartment he owned is where the arena's center court is now located) had his home taken by eminent domain by New York State on March 1, 2010 after nearly 8 years of court battles. At that time New York State took sole ownership of his home and moved to evict him, his wife and toddler daughter. At his eviction hearing on April 21, 2010 Brooklyn judge Abraham Gerges forced the Empire State Development Corporation and Mr. Goldstein to settle on an imminent eviction date (May 7) and the constitutionally required just compensation for the home they had seized. The compensation was for $3 million, $760,000 of which went to Mr. Goldstein's attorney Mike Rikon.
  FCR eventually boosted its bid to $100 million, and said the overall value of its bid was higher than the appraised value, which was validated by the courts.
  Forest City Ratner offered the condo owners in 636 Pacific St. $850/sq. foot, the condo owners at 24 Sixth Ave (Spalding Buildings) $650/sq. foot and undisclosed amounts to renters. Sellers of condos signed a nondisclosure agreement, termed a "gag order" by opponents.
caption: The New York Court of Appeals hearing oral arguments in Goldstein's case in 2009.
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