Does Goldstein See the Handwriting on the Wall?

Does Daniel Goldstein, the face of Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn, think the end is near?  In discussing how many people and businesses have left the site and how many still remain, Goldstein writes Tuesday on the group's website, "They all will all be gone eventually and eminent domain will have been used to clear the site. And the approval to use eminent domain to remove all of those citizens and their businesses was made in a back room."

Under a March 1 condemnation order, title to Goldstein's condo and other properties within the footprint was turned over to the state's Empire State Development Corp.  According to reports, 35 residents are still living in 15 residences on the site.  ESDC lawyers have told all the residents and four businesses they must vacate their premises by April 3.  However, Goldstein has said the letter has "no legal bearing" and he will await a judge's eviction order. He also contends the compensation offered him by the state is less than what he paid for the condo in 2003 and much less than what Bruce Ratner once offered him.

The premises must be vacated before the ESDC can lease the property to the arena holding company contorlled by Ratner and Mikhail Prokhorov.  Once the lease is signed, the deal between Ratner and Prokhorov is complete and the NBA can move to transfer ownership to the Russian billionaire.

• On Just Two of the Self-serving Fibs Told at Ratner's Grountaking Ceremony - Daniel Goldstein - Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn
• Property owners must relocate soon or face eviction - Daniel Bush - Brooklyn Downtown Star