September 14, 2005

Nets win MTA land

Ending one phase of a now two-year-long battle, New Jersey Nets owner Bruce Ratner has gotten the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's nod to develop the Brooklyn rail yards where he hopes to build a basketball arena, office and residential towers, and, apparently, an homage to 9/11. Ratner's $100 million bid was judged to have beaten out a $150 million bid from rival developer Extell, not to mention the MTA's own $214 million appraisal of the property - apparently it was Backwards Day at the MTA.

The Associated Press got some things backwards in its story, as well: Not only does Ratner still need to "wait for environmental approvals and a vote by the state's Public Authorities Control Board," as the AP reports, but $200 million in state and city subsidies still must be approved by the legislature and city council, unless Mayor Michael Bloomberg finds some more money under the sofa cushions. And lastly, the proposed Nets arena site is not where the Brooklyn Dodgers almost built a ballpark, already! (That was across the street, where a Ratner mall now stands.) Listen, AP, don't make me go all Snopes on your ass...