Underwhelming New Nets Arena Will Have Plenty of Parking

Courtesy Municipal Art Society, Aerial Photograph by Jonathan Barkey

A new rendering by the Municipal Art Society suggests that Bruce Ratner's $4.9 billion plan to build a Nets basketball arena and mixed-use towers in Brooklyn is a far cry from what was originally proposed, duh. No official renderings of the 22-acre site have been provided to the public since Ratner revealed that starchitect Frank Gehry's ambitious arena designs had been scrapped to cut costs, so MAS has stepped in to show what the area will look like in the coming years.

Since MAS doubts that Ratner has the financing to build more than two of the 16 planned towers, their rendering simply shows an achingly banal sports complex surrounded by empty lots, as predicted last year. Opponents to the project say Ratner's changes call for a new environmental review process, and MAS president Vin Cipolla tells the Post, "The rendering reveals the dramatic differences between the new design for the Atlantic Yards arena and what was approved in 2006, and it highlights why the state must reevaluate the new project and its environmental impact."

But the Empire State Development Corp. maintains that the modifications "are strictly financial" and don't require a new application process. The agency is expect to approve the new plan within two months, but public hearings will be held tomorrow and Thursday. (The hearings run 2-5 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. each day at Klitgord Auditorium of New York City Technical College on Jay Street.) Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn is organizing a protest outside the auditorium at 1 p.m. Wednesday, and encourages those who can't make the hearings to submit written comments. Details here.

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By John Del Signore in News on July 28, 2009 2:18 PM

Comments [rss]

Qraymond

GAH! IT'S HIDEOUS! GET IT AWAY!

ianmac47

The anti-development folks seem to have created a self-fulfilling prophecy. Had the project broken ground two or three years ago, most of it would probably have been intact. Delays caused by local protesters have instead left the neighborhood scarred far worse than would have been built. Instead of innovative, or at least unique, architecture, the area around the arena will look like 1960's style urban redevelopment projects-- that is, empty parking lots with chain link fences. Well done NIMBYs.

NannyState

The project was announced at the end of 2003 and final clearance to proceed occurred in June 2008, months ahead of the global financial crisis. So Ratner had how long to organize financing for his development and begin building as soon as the courts removed all obstacles? It didn't happen because he couldn't sell it to the community, and more importantly, he couldn't sell it to the banks. In that same timeframe, any number of other developments cleared the usual hurdles and got built. Ratner only has himself and his grandiose, fatally flawed vision to blame. That anything gets built at all is a testament to what an easy mark the MTA is for billionaires while it bullies its customers and jacks up fares.

yytttt

I think you are dead wrong, NannyState. The problem is not that it is grandiose, but rather not big enough. Ratner should have taken his idea to it's logical end to get the courts', communities', and sports fans' approval. The most obvious plan would be to build the Nets arena where it is proposed now and build the new Brooklyn Islanders arena where the Atlantic Avenue station is. All the train lines should be re-routed to skip the Atlantic Ave stop and a taxi round-about built somewhere nearby for everyone foolish enough to live in Brooklyn without a chauffeur. Now, it's obvious that if Jersey isn't good enough for the Nets, Long Island sure as hell isn't good enough for the Islanders. Both these teams relocating to Brooklyn is an inevitability only an earthworm could fail to see. Think things through a little longer next time, Ratner and you won't have any of the problems you've encountered.

matty

I really don't think the anti-development crowd had anything to do with this. It was the economy that stopped it, not those people.

Thought it was funny how they railed against the Gehry, and then absolutely lost it when they saw this.

imadick

that's true -- but they'll still claim victory that it's smaller than before.

silver

So how many new miles of blank sidewalk canvas with no protrusions or openings (except for fire door) will be added in the typical "lets protect the car people from the sidewalk people" way?

silver

The area is already well gentrified because of that Mall over pathmark and Mall over a train station and that office building and new office to condo building.

longacre

There is one "well gentrified" part, and then acres upon acres of nothing rats and decay.

SP

Parking lots??? What a criminal travesty. The whole point is that Atlantic Avenue is the number one transit hub in the entire city. Almost every fucking subway line comes through there. They want to encourage people to drive there??? What a bunch of fucking assholes. What makes this notion even more idiotic is that the Nets have all of about 15 fans anyway.

HOTCUP

"number one transit hub in the city"? little bit of an exaggeration there.

SP

Yes I am exaggerating slightly, as I am not including trains and buses, however, the Atlantic Ave stop has these lines: B D M N Q R 2 3 4 5. The A and C are only a few blocks away. You can get to and from Atlantic Ave from anywhere in the city. Aside from the 7, every line of subway goes through that intersection. So yes, only Times Square has more public transit. In short, there is no need for all those parking lots, and driving there should be discouraged, not the other way around.