Courts Rule in Favor of “Eminent Domain”

by Tommy Dee on November 24th, 2009 at 5:36 pm

Via Insidehoops:

“…Once again the courts have made it clear that this project represents a significant public benefit for the people of Brooklyn and the entire City,” Mr. Ratner said. “Our commitment to the entire project is as strong today as when we started six years ago. Today, however, this project is even more important given the need for jobs and economic development.”

Mr. Ratner said construction activity on the yards will continue, with the intent that the Nets will play ball in the Barclays Center in the 2011-2012 NBA Season…”

Can’t imagine that the Nets would want to rush (uh, no pun intended) into Brooklyn before 2012-13. There are still plenty of shoes that need to drop including the ok’ing of Mikhail Prokhorov by the NBA. And they need to make sure that corporations are ready to jump in and be there from day one.

This has always been an aggressive play, and insiders have told me that Ratner’s idea was truly to try and steal the spotlight of the city from the Knicks during a wretched tenure under Isiah Thomas.

Now, I’m not a real estate mogul, but I’ve been involved in business which was part of the renovation/reconstruction of an redeveloping area, and, to me, an arena with no supporting community is behind the 8-ball before it even starts.

  • Where expiring contracts happen

    What makes you think it has no support? There are always going to be holdouts in any enterprise where change is involved.

  • http://theKnicksBlog.com Tommy Dee

    how many lawsuits?

    and to me, it’s not even that, it’s the corporate businesses that have seemed to take a step back.

    my point is there is a lot up in the air…

  • HaS

    A lot of things are up in the air with the Knicks, no?

  • Namifi

    The Knicks organization better hurry up and put a winner in the Garden. I know [true] Knicks fans are like Brooklyn Dodger fans but we need to dominate NYC, this is a direct assault on the Garden.

  • Peso

    Not sure how much this will benefit the city when they are twisting someone’s arm to sell their house at probably below their value….

    They should just move to Newark…easier access for their Jersey fans.

    Better investment is moving the Jets to NY

  • Where expiring contracts happen

    I suspect they will get more value, at least equal to market value.

  • blackwood

    THE ABUSE OF EMINENT DOMAIN IS THE MOST DISGUSTING THING I HAVE EVER SEEN! STRONG ARMING PEOPLE OUT OF WAS RIGHTFULLY THERE’S IN ORDER TO “GIVE IT” TO A RICH BILLIONAIRE BECAUSE HE HAS PURCHASED YOUR SOUL SHOULD IN RAGE EVERY NEW YORKER! I DON’T JUST SAY THIS AS A KNICKS FAN I SAY THIS AS A HARLEM RESIDENT WHO HAS BEEN IN GROUND ZERO OF EMINENT DOMAIN ABUSE FOR YEARS!! IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE GLOOMBURG & HIS BILLIONAIRE BOYS CLUB PRICE US ALL OUT OF THE CITY THAT IS RIGHTFULLY OURS!!

  • Heri

    Can we eminent Domain Dolan?