Another Multi-Million Dollar Payout in Arena Saga

The Empire State Development Corp. finally achieved "vacant possession" of the Barclays Center footprint this afternoon, but not before another family walked away with "several million dollars" in return for leaving their home, two doors away from the shuttered Freddy's Bar. The Post reports that a series of bureaucratic screw-ups by the ESDC led to the payout. In fact, the Ahmeds may have wound up with more money than Daniel Goldstein, who received $3 million last month.  The Ahmeds left their brownstone at 1 p.m., the last residents of the 22-acre tract.

Meanwhile, Tracy Collins, who has chronicled the critics' efforts, documented activity this week at the corner of Flatbush and Atlantic avenues in Brooklyn using time-lapse imagery.  While it will take months to demolish the building Goldstein exited Friday, the imagery--photographed from his now vacated unit--shows increased construction on the ground below.  Heavy equipment can be seen preparing the arena site and beginning excavation.  Also nearby, the area's water and sewer lines are continuing to be upgraded to meet the demands of Barclays Center and the planned 16 residential and commercial towers.

There's no word on the status of the most recent--and presumably last--litigation against the project, a suit claiming the ESDC never condemned an easement at what would be the eastern edge of the arena.

• EXCLUSIVE: 'Real' last holdouts to Nets’ Brooklyn arena project move out - Rich Calder - New York Post
• "Real last holdouts" move out; "sources" leak details on settlement - Norman Oder - Atlantic Yards Report
  
• From Tracy Collins: time-lapse photos, day and night, from 636 Pacific Street - Norman Oder - Atlantic Yards Report