May 16, 2004
Ratner buying buildings, silence
It's been reported for a few days now that would-be Brooklyn Nets owners has been quietly offering lucrative buyouts to homeowners on his planned arena site. Now comes word that in exchange for their $1 million payments, apartment owners in the nine-story Atlantic Art Building must also sign a gag order that, according to Brooklyn Papers reporter Deborah Kolben, "prohibits them from speaking out against the arena or attending anti-arena rallies and public hearings. Residents are also required to take down anti-arena signs from the building's entranceway and doorway and are forbidden from donating money to any groups opposing the project." Former New York Civil Liberties Union head Norman Siegel, who is serving as the lawyer for residents fighting eviction for the arena, called this development "extremely offensive and troubling."
