Motives of Atlantic Yards Rally Are Questioned

The Reverend Al Sharpton and a number of elected officials are expected at a Forest City Ratner Co. rally today in downtown Brooklyn to renew support for the $4 billion Atlantic Yards project.

Some elected officials who oppose the project are questioning whether the rally is really just a prelude to another round of requests for additional state subsidies.

"I think that the project itself is in jeopardy — and it was a bad one to start out with — and that is why I think they are doing this," Council Member Tony Avella said. "Obviously they are trying to make the point that this has to happen immediately. But this is nonsense. Brooklyn is doing very well, and if this is about subsidies — well it ain't going to happen."

In addition to Mr. Sharpton, activist Curtis Sliwa is scheduled to speak about the need for more economic development in Brooklyn, according to a press release. The rally is being paid for by the developer. To be held at Joralemon and Court streets, it will include a series of speakers and performances by a Brooklyn-based band, the Second Step, and the recording artist Maxi Priest.

A spokesman for Forest City Ratner, Loren Riegelhaupt, said the project was moving forward and that today's rally is designed to coincide with Brooklyn-Queens Day, an annual celebration.

"We thought it would be a fun day, and there is an important message out there: Brooklyn has evolved and is approaching a new era, and there are people out there that want it to continue to grow," he said.

Mr. Riegelhaupt declined to comment about whether the project would seek additional subsidies, saying only: "We are working on finalizing the affordable housing component with the city and the state."

Last month, Forest City Ratner announced design changes that included the replacement of the centerpiece tower, known as Miss Brooklyn, with another tower.

The plan to build a basketball arena and 16 mostly residential towers on 22 acres in Prospect Heights has been the target of several lawsuits and has been criticized for its scale. The state and city have also come under criticism from resident groups for providing too many subsidies and tax breaks to the project. The project has already received hundreds of millions of dollars of subsidies. The total sum of subsidies and tax breaks is unknown, but according to some estimates they could reach $2 billion.

A spokesman for the Empire State Development Corp., Warner Johnston, said the state had received no indication that Forest City Ratner is seeking additional subsidies.

The president of Brooklyn, Marty Markowitz, and state Senator Carl Kruger are among the elected officials expected to participate in today's rally.

Mr. Kruger said the Atlantic Yards project was the kind of project Brooklyn needs to jumpstart its economy. "The government's role is to provide publicly beneficial projects, and this provides a broad spectrum of opportunities. Yes, I believe that these are the kind of projects the government should be supporting, and in a depressed market we have to step up to the plate," Mr. Kruger said.