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PRESIDENT’S BIO
COMMITTEES Starement To C ommunity Regarding The Proposed Move of The Nets
BasketBall Team To Brooklyn Form
FACTS & MYTHS Assemblyman Roger L. Green (D-57TH A.D.)
ATLANTIC YARDS
EMPLOYMENT Nets Arena / Atlantic Yards Development Project Position Statement view
REGISTRY 3/4/2004 PDF view Flash Paper
BUSINESS REGISTRY
New York C ity C ouncil Economic Development C ommittee Hearing
PRESS ROOM President's Testimony 5/4/2004 view view Flash Paper
STATISTICS PDF

PHOTOS New York C ity C ouncil Economic Development C ommittee Hearing1 ST Vice
President's Testimony

Position Statement for Monday, November 29TH Public Hearing Sponsored view view Flash Paper
by C ommunity Boards 2, 6 & 8 PDF

STATEMENT TO COMMUNITY REGARDING THE PROPOSED MOVE

OF THE NETS BASKETBALL TEAM TO BROOKLYN FROM
ASSEMBLYMAN ROGER L. GREEN (D-57TH A.D.)
(READ AT THE BAM PRESS CONFERENCE JANUARY 23,2004)

No one should down play the historic significance of this moment. As a lifelong resident of the borough of Brooklyn, I
and others are often reminded of the historic role that professional sports has played toward moving our society
closer to the ideals of equality and justice.
In the late 1950's, the historic alliance between Branch Rickey and Jackie Robinson served as a catalyst for
progressive change. Branch Rickey's courage and vision, with Jackie Robinson's courage and dignity, empowered
people throughout this land to transcend the ancient ghost of racial polarization, social isolation and injustice.
The Brooklyn Dodgers were more than a professional sports team. They were a penultimate example and symbol of
what is best within American spirit. They embodied our ability as a people to overcome racial and class definitions by
tenaciously embracing those core values that encouraged all members of our society to unite so that we might all win
When the Dodgers left Brooklyn, we Brooklynites did not only lose the economic opportunities associated with this
professional sport, we also lost the spirit of the Dodgers, the tenacious and resilient commitment to unify all classes
and races and ethnic groups on behalf of the common good.
Who could ever forget how Pee Wee Reese born white in a racist segregated society stepped out of his old ghost to
defend his teammate Jackie Robinson when Jackie was being attacked by vicious racists. Thus the Dodgers should be
viewed as a historic transformative agent in a society needing progressive change.
No elected official, No business, No resident of this borough can quantify what the loss of that team meant to our
neighborhood, our city, our state.
Indeed the move of the Dodgers to Los Angeles came at a time when Brooklyn was beleaguered by urban unrest,
white flight, and economic stagnation.
With this in mind, I now feel compelled to provide CONDITIONAL SUPPORT for this project because I believe that all
Brooklynites can unite around those core values that were heroically demonstrated by Branch Rickey and Jackie
Robinson. This project may serve as a unique opportunity to establish a new paradigm that will revitalize the borough
of Brooklyn for all races, classes, and ethnic groups.
The Development should respect the rights of our neighbors...
In this spirit, I am urging the developers to make a concerted and exhaustive effort to ensure that the footprint of
this project does not trample upon the dreams and ideals of any resident who would choose to stay within our
community. Furthermore, I urge the developers to include within their plans, the core values of fairness, reciprocity
and economic justice, should there be any resident who would willingly choose to move. As a representative of this
area, my neighbors and I must be assured that there will not be an abusive use of eminent domain. Just as we can
not quantify the social and emotional loss that the Dodgers moving to LA had on our borough, we also have a moral
responsibility to recognize the emotional ties that residents, have to their homes and neighbors. To this end, I am
assigning Aisha Hinton, a member of my staff who has a degree in Landscape Architecture, and a resident of Prospect
Heights, to work with the distinguished architect, Frank Gehery, and the Borough President's office towards ensuring
that this development will respect the organic and natural revitalization of our neighborhoods.
Breaking the Color Barrier within the suites and back offices...
Those of us, who are the historical heirs to Branch Rickey and Jackie Robinson, must be assured that this project
stands on the shoulders of the progressive legacy that they established. In this spirit, my office will be working with

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Mr. Ratner to ensure that just as Branch Rickey opened the color barrier so that Jackie could display his genius on the
playing field, we must create opportunities for Jackie's descendants to demonstrate their gifts within the suites and
the back offices of this multibillion dollar industry. Mr. Ratner has assured me that this development will create
opportunities for those African Americans, Latinos, women, and other traditionally bypassed constituencies to be
investors, partners, owners, and co-developers of this project. To this end, I would like to recognize attorney and
businessman Londell McMillan who will be representing the interest of these constituencies.
Economic Justice for all...
Not far from the proposed site of this project, there exist communities that have traditionally been left behind and
who have not benefited from the development occurring in downtown Brooklyn. There is a 78% unemployment rate in
the Fort Greene housing project and a 66% unemployment rate within the Farragut housing project. This long-term
structural/economic crisis must be addressed. It is in this spirit that I call on the developer and leaders of organized
labor to establish a comprehensive project labor agreement that guarantees pre-apprenticeship, apprenticeship and
prevailing wages for construction and post construction jobs. No support should be given to this project without it
being linked to a community benefit agreement, which targets living wages to those communities that have been
historically left behind.
Uplifting the Quality of Life for our Children and Families...
This project offers a unique opportunity to enhance the quality of life for our children and families within the borough
of Brooklyn. Mr. Ratner has agreed to work with my office towards the establishment of a Children's Zone for Brooklyn.
As envisioned, this Children's Zone will include ChildCare, Pre-Kindergarten programs, schools, sports and recreational
opportunities for children of the affected neighborhoods. As Chair of the Assembly Standing Committee on Children
and Families, I am making a personal commitment towards ensuring that this dream is realized. I would like to
announce that Randall Toure, who previously served as a member of my staff, has joined the Forest City Ratner
Development Corporation, and will be working with the community to ensure that the interest of our families will be
protected.
Providing Working Class Housing...
The developer has proposed 5,000 units of new housing - I propose that our city, state, and Federal elected officials
begin to work with Mr. Ratner and the Mayor towards ensuring that these units will provide housing for working class
families. Just as the Dodgers were the embodiment of working class values, this housing should represent a renewed
commitment to provide housing for they working class. In addition, we must ensure that the demographics and the
character of this neighborhood retain its multiracial and multiethnic composition. A housing complex that would negate
these imperatives would violate the spirit of inclusion and diversity that was celebrated by the alliance between
Branch Rickey and Jackie Robinson. Our business leaders and elected officials must ensure that downtown Brooklyn
does not become an example of pervasive re-segregation.
An Open and Democratic process...
Finally, history teaches us that the process and the protocols used toward the building of communities will inevitably
impact the quality of life within our communities. It is in this spirit that I have joined with a number of community
activist including Tenant representatives, Block Association representatives, Precinct Council members, business and
home owners to establish a new organization entitled B.U.I.L.D - Brooklyn United for Innovative Local
Development. This organization will serve as a voice for all of those concerned neighbors who seek to unite our
communities towards an enlightened development. B.U.I.L.D. will work within the process that is being set-up by
Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz to ensure community input into this historic development. I would also
like to acknowledge that Bertha Lewis of ACORN and Tenant activist Darnell Canada among other will be reaching out
to the affected neighborhoods and the larger community so that this process might be as democratic and transparent
as possible.
I believe that we Brooklynites who are the descendants of Jackie Robinson and Branch Rickey have this historic
opportunity to demonstrate that we can make this development a beacon for equal, opportunity, fairness,
inclusiveness, and justice for future generations. My conditional support for this project is grounded upon this
Brooklynites commitment to creative problem solving and a vision for justice. (top)

Nets Arena / Atlantic Yards Development Project

Position Statement
3/4/2004

Bruce Ratner's bringing the Nets to Brooklyn and the Atlantic Yards Development project represents much needed
economic development to Downtown Brooklyn. BUILD is a proponent of this project because Ratner is committed to
respecting the existing community as a partner in the economic and community development process by negotiating a
C ommunity Benefits Agreement.
Need
The vibrancy of Brooklyn's rich diverse population is shrouded by the stark realities of defacto socio-economic
apartheid. Among a vast array of contiguous neighborhoods marked by dismal conditions exist enclaves of upperclass
wealth. The socio-economic characteristics of the Brooklyn community boards in and around the target site of the
Atlantic Yards Development project illustrate this. Community Boards 2, 3, 6, 8, 9 and 16 are all in and around the
project site. The 2000 census assessed an unemployment rate of 9.6% for New York City and 10.7% for Brooklyn.
Community Boards 2 and 6 came in at unemployment rates of 10% and 5.5% respectively. In stark contrast the
unemployment rates for Community Boards 3, 8, 9 and 16 were 18%, 14.2%, 13.5% and 22.9% respectively. -
Community Development Eligible Census Tracts Map for Brooklyn
46.57% of residents throughout boards 2, 3, 6, 8, 9 and 16 live below 200% of poverty level; remove boards 2 and 6
from the equation and that number jumps to 53.25%.

Opportunity
If implemented in a responsible and equitable manner, the Atlantic Yards Development project is a critical strategy to
reducing poverty as well as closing the unemployment and income gap throughout communities in close proximity to
the project site. This project alone will not eradicate the aforementioned poverty and disparities, but its magnitude
engenders it with the capacity to make a considerable impact.
BUILD seeks to ensure that those subject to adverse economic conditions and stark underclass entrapment have the
opportunity to benefit from the revitalization that comes with this project as opposed to being excluded and pushed
out of the community. Central Brooklyn residents who grapple with the tough times and conditions must be afforded

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equitable opportunities to partake of the economic renaissance to come.

The arena and commercial space development will bring an infusion of employment opportunities. Even more promising
is that the project can create a diverse array of jobs with respect to skills levels.
Brooklyn in general and the project site area in particular is facing a lack of affordable housing for low to moderate
income families. The 5,000 units of housing to be developed though this project is an opportunity to make a dent in
this crisis.

Acute employment and housing needs elevates this project from a good idea to a mandate. BUILD acknowledges that
a community development strategy must be comprehensive, to that end we seek to negotiate dynamic education,
child care, youth development as well as senior citizen initiatives into a community benefit agreement for this project.

BUILD's Process
BUILD is pleased to present a public forum series about the Nets Arena and Atlantic Yards Development project
entitled: Opportunities with Atlantic Yards Development- "Don't Get Left Behind." BUILD's membership consists of over
200 business owners, employment seekers, professionals, homeowners, renters, parents, youth as well as local civic
and cultural institutions. Through its committees, BUILD has generated items to be developed into a C ommunity Benefits
Agreement with Forest City Ratner Companies.

Opportunities with Atlantic Yards Development- "Don't Get Left Behind," is aimed at educating members of
Brooklyn Communities in close proximity to the Atlantic Yards Project site as well as Brooklynites at large about
economic and community development opportunities possible with this project. To realize the possibilities of this
project for Brooklynites especially those living in the central Brooklyn communities of Prospect Heights, Crown Heights,
Fort Greene, Brownsville, Flatbush, Weeksville and Bedford-Stuyvesant, it is imperative that a comprehensive
C ommunity Benefits Agreement be developed. Consequently, we invite you this public dialogue series so that we can
present our initial thoughts to you as well as solicit your input. (top)

Nets Arena / Atlantic Yards Development Project

New York City Council Economic Development Committee Hearing
President's Testimony
5/4/2004
The majority of those of us who live in and around the target site are in a state of economic crisis. The Community
Service Society found that nearly 50% of Black men in New York City are unemployed. Brooklyn, historically and
today, has the second highest unemployment and poverty rates out of the 5 boroughs of New York City. The
statistics of the Brooklyn community boards in and around the target site of the Atlantic Yards Development project
illustrate how the economic crisis is particularly severe around the target project site. Community Boards 2, 3, 6, 8, 9
and 16 all constitute and surround the project site. The 2000 census assessed an unemployment rate of 9.6% for
New York City and 10.7% for Brooklyn. The unemployment rates for Community Boards 3 (Bedford Stuyvesant), 8
(North Crown Heights & Prospect Heights), 9 (South Crown Heights) and 16 (Brownsville) were 18%, 14.2%, 13.5%
and 22.9% respectively.

Brooklyn United for Innovative Local Development (BUILD) is declaring a state of economic emergency among Black
Men and throughout Brooklyn Community Boards 2, 3, 8, 9 and 16. Large scale economic revitalization is needed to
address this crisis. The Arena brings needed job, business and housing opportunities needed to reduce alarmingly high
rates of poverty and unemployment. BUILD applauds Bruce Ratner and Forest City Ratner Companies' (FCRC)
commitment to negotiating an agreement with BUILD to establish and maximize community benefits from FCRC's
Atlantic Yards Development Project. FCRC's commitment represents the spirit needed to initiate an authentic process
for the equitable and responsible development of local communities.

If implemented in a responsible and equitable manner, the Atlantic Yards Development project is a critical strategy to
reducing poverty as well as closing the unemployment and income gap throughout communities in close proximity to
the project site. This project alone will not eradicate the aforementioned poverty and disparities, but its magnitude
engenders it with the capacity to make a considerable impact. (top)
James E. Caldwell
BUILD President

Nets Arena / Atlantic Yards Development Project

New York City Council Economic Development Committee Hearing
1 ST Vice President's Testimony
5/4/2004
The majority of those of us who live in and around the target site are in a state of economic crisis. The Community
Service Society found that nearly 50% of Black men in New York City are unemployed. Brooklyn, historically and
today, has the second highest unemployment and poverty rates out of the 5 boroughs of New York City. Over 70% of
residents in an around the target area are of African Descent. Moreover, while the majority of residents share the
commonality of race the same population is ethnically diverse- featuring a large Caribbean community. Neighboring
Eastern Parkway is the site of the annual West Indian Parade on Labor Day. The large Black population in the area
developed as a result of both migration from the South and immigration from the Caribbean. This movement to New
York city and other large cities throughout the United States was in search of economic opportunities.

Unfortunately, white flight from urban areas in the 40's, 50's and 60's was followed by vast disinvestment from urban
inner cities like New York City in general and Brooklyn in particular. This disinvestment has deprived many in search of
economic opportunities from prosperity and imprisoned many in the clutches of working class poverty and underclass
entrapment that belies astronomical rates of poverty and unemployment. While alone it cannot eliminate working class
poverty and underclass entrapment, The Nets Arena and Atlantic Yards Development epitomizes the type of large
scale development needed to make urban areas like Brooklyn dynamic economic centers replete with opportunity.

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We are currently living in an era characterized by a large back to urban center movement in New York City and across
the nation. This trend places those most in need of the economic revitalization intrinsic to the Arena Project and
Downtown Brooklyn Plan at risk for large scale displacement and further marginalization. Consequently, those who
have been loyal residents of urban centers like Brooklyn may be deprived of partaking in the economic renaissance to
come after contending with tough economic times. To safeguard against this, Bruce Ratner and Forest City Ratner
Companies has committed to working with BUILD to negotiate an agreement aimed at:
developing the capacity of working age adults to economically gain and benefit from the
revitalization spurred by this project;
preparing youth for global marketplace success so that they have the capacity to live anywhere
they choose well;
create an environment with opportunities, services and supports for a growing senior population;
and
cultivate and promoting a positive civic ethic and pride among resident youth, adults and seniors in
part through a sense of connection to this development.
BUILD strongly supports this project and appeals to elected representatives to support us and Forest City Ratners in
the negotiation of an agreement to ensure that residents most in need of economic opportunities in and around the
project site are connect to those business, employment and housing opportunities. (top)
Marie Louis
BUILD 1ST Vice President

Position Statement for

Monday, November 29TH Public Hearing
Sponsored by Community Boards 2, 6 & 8
11/29/2004
The C ommunity Benefits Agreement (C BA) elevates this project from an exciting good idea to a mandate. The C BA
introduces a paradigm for development that involves substantive grassroots community engagement. The C BA
incorporates groundbreaking innovative strategies to promote equitable access to employment, educational, and
business opportunities for local residents and business owners as well as the inclusion of affordable housing and
quality-of-life provisions.
Attacking the C BA process is a smoke screen for affluent individuals who prioritize their preferences and comfort
above the needs of Brooklynites contending with high rates of poverty, unemployment, alienation from the workforce
and under-capitalized businesses. This minority seeks to promote their "comfort" while maintaining and furthering the
marginalization and economic destabilization of poor and working class inner-city urban residents.
It is important for the public to understand that the Downtown Brooklyn Leadership Coalition's (DBLC) opposition is
predicated on their desire to be the exclusive group negotiating the C BA with Forest City Ratner Companies. Five
pastors, five politicians and two community leaders constitute the members of the DBLC. This group does not want to
negotiate a C BA in partnership with grassroots organizations like BUILD, ACORN, NYCHA Tenant Associations and the
Downtown Brooklyn Neighborhood Alliance (DBNA). It is unconscionable that this group used lies and deception to
mislead the community into boycotting the Atlantic Terminal Mall on Friday, November 26; BUILD lead a counter-
boycott. Fortunately, the boycott was a flop, the mall's stores posted record one day sales on that day.

Project Scale
A few critique the scale of this project, however, the huge scale of the project maximizes the amount of opportunities
generated by the project for the community. It is rare for a single project to present such a varied range of economic
opportunities- employment, education, business and housing. More commercial and retail space means more business
and employment opportunities for local residents. Reducing the scale of the project means reducing opportunities for
the community.

Public Subsidies
The C ommunity Benefits Agreement promotes the acquisition of substantive benefits from the project in exchange for
public subsidies— tax payer dollars. We know that government alone has not been able to effect economic
development strategies to provide the services, opportunities and supports needed by inner-city urban residents and
communities contending with unemployment, compacted poverty and high rates of incarceration. Recently
displacement resulting from gentrification has compounded the constellation of socio-economic threats to individuals
from traditionally marginalized and by-passed constituencies. The CBA is an innovative market-driven approach to
addressing longstanding systemic economic challenges facing communities at the local level.

No Abuse of Eminent Domain

To prevent the project from adversely affecting existing business owners and residents the following strategies have
been enacted:
owners are being compensated over 100% the market rate for their properties;
displaced renters have priority access to new rental units built by the project with rents starting at
the rate they are currently paying for their affected unit.

Project Generated Opportunities

$2.5 billion in construction
15,000 construction jobs
10,000 permanent jobs (generated by 2.2 million square feet of commercial and 300,000 square feet
of retail space)
4,500 units of housing
20,000 seat sports and entertainment arena
6 acres of open space

Highlights of C BA Provisions to connect community residents and business to project generated

opportunities:
Creates a floor of $600,000,000 in contracts for Black, Latino and women owned business. Business

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 Creates a floor of $600,000,000 in contracts for Black, Latino and women owned business. Business
development strategies have been incorporated to exceed this goal.
Post construction service contract opportunities for Black, Latino and women owned business.
Employment training, placement and retention strategies to exceed floor set of 45% engagement of
local Black, Latino and Women for jobs generated by project.
Business opportunities for Blacks and Latinos in the Arena and retail space developed by the
project.
Substantial long-term investment in public schools and local churches to improve educational
attainment outcomes and median income capacity of local residents who families contend with high
rates of unemployment, underemployment, disengagement from workforce and poverty.
50% of housing units will be affordable for low and moderate income households. 10% of units will
be set aside for seniors.
Affordable Condos.
Creation of an Intergenerational Facility (child care, youth and senior programs), comprehensive
health care facilities and public parks and recreational facilities.
Community access to use of the Arena. (top)

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