Some historical perspective on why the time may be right to cut bait on some big New York development projects:

When the state Senate — back when we had a functioning state Senate — held hearings on Brooklyn’s beleaguered Atlantic Yards project last month, angry construction workers packed the hall to decry the delays that have plagued the plan since developer Bruce Ratner first floated it nearly six years ago. “Build it now!” they chanted. “No more hearings!”

After a week in which more bits continued to flake off of Ratner’s mega project — architect Frank Gehry was ignominiously axed as too expensive, and the initial “Jobs, Housing and Hoops” plan has now been whittled down to, I believe, an $800 million Nets arena and a pair of souvlaki carts — some folks are moaning that we’re seeing a return to the Dark Ages when nothing could get built in the city… [read more]