Atlantic Yards developer Bruce Ratner didn't know who he was messing with when he set out to seize the home of Daniel Goldstein, co-founder of Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn, a highly sophisticated coalition of 26 community organizations leading the fight against that project. Although the group has only had one court victory to-date, which was overturned, their protests and series of lawsuits and appeals have managed to stall the project into credit crunch territory, possibly jeopardizing its financing. The court's recent decision to deny the state's motion to dismiss the eminent domain case, led by Goldstein, has pushed construction (if started) back to at least Spring 2009, and the court's decision will likely be used in other eminent domain cases involving private developers across the country. Goldstein will be the most memorable Brooklyn community activist of this decade, fearlessly (at all hours of the day) speaking for thousands.
Brooklyn's Top 50 Most Influential No. 11-20 [Brownstoner]
Brooklyn's Top 50 Most Influential No. 21-30 [Brownstoner]
Brooklyn's Top 50 Most Influential No. 31 - 40 [Brownstoner]
Brooklyn's Top 50 Most Influential No. 41 - 50 [Brownstoner]
Photo by Steve Soblick
