Atlantic Yards Opponents Suffer Second Recent Blow

Opponents of the Atlantic Yards development project were dealt their second blow in under a week yesterday after a New York State Appellate Division court denied a motion for an appeal brought over the state's use of eminent domain in the $4 billion development project.

On Friday, a separate suit filed by area residents that challenged the environmental impact of the project was also dismissed. "This is the second time in less than a week that the courts have decided in favor of the Atlantic Yards project," the executive vice president of government and public affairs at Forest City Ratner Companies, Bruce Bender, said in a statement. "This is an exciting time as we are even closer to making Atlantic Yards and its thousands of jobs, affordable housing units, and professional sports team a reality for Brooklyn." An attorney for the plaintiffs, George Locker, said that he would appeal the decision. "

There is a lot of litigation left before land is going to be broken," he said.