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Local Groups Attempt to Halt City Point Construction in Downtown Brooklyn

By Janet Upadhye | May 3, 2013 9:34am
 Local politicians, community groups and construction unions filed a Article 78 lawsuit against the city and development company Acadia Realty Trust to shut down construction on City Point until a new environmental impact statement is submitted.
City Point
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DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — Local groups want a judge to block City Point construction.

A consortium of local politicians, construction unions and community-based organizations are attempting to stop construction on the City Point development in Downtown Brooklyn until the city agrees to conduct an analysis on the socioeconomic impact on the community, according to papers filed in Manhattan Supreme Court. 

“The City should ensure that all mega-projects be built according to prevailing wages and benefits, and further review their impact on the existing community," said Council Member Letitia James in a statement. "I stand with this coalition in holding Acadia to this standard.”

The first City Point retail outlet, A|X Armani Exchange, opened its doors in November of last year. Construction is currently taking place on a 660,000-square-foot retail space that will house Century 21 and Alamo Drafthouse Cinema.

But court papers filed on May 1 state that it has been nine years since the city took a "hard look" at the environmental and socioeconomic impacts of City Point.

"The real impact on the neighborhoods and the workers on the project has never really gotten a good look by the city, as required by law," said Tom Kennedy, the group’s lawyer. "This project needs to be shut down and all public financing of the City Point Project has to stop until a proper environmental impact statement can be created and impacts assessed."

A spokeswoman for the Bloomberg administration declined to comment saying, "We've received the papers and are reviewing them," and Acadia Realty Trust did not immediately respond to a request for comment.