Atlantic Yards Arena Back to the Drawing Board Again (Again!)

When developer Bruce Ratner dropped architect Frank Gehry's designs for his beleaguered Atlantic Yards project in Brooklyn, the reversal was derided as a "stunning bait-and-switch" by the Times architecture critic. Adding insult to injury, the preliminary rendering for the less expensive Nets arena, designed by Midwestern arena designer company Ellerbe Becket, resembled a banal brick airplane hanger perfect for youth hockey and flea markets. But the Observer now reveals that Ratner has brought in hot New York architecture firm SHoP to work with Ellerbe Becket on the $800 million arena and, presumably, put some new lipstick on this boondoggle. (SHoP's the firm that did the pipe dream designs proposed for a new South Street Seaport; Curbed has compiled more of their work.) Yet another round of new renderings are expected to be released this month, so prepare to be pandered to all over again! In the meantime, Ratner is hustling to sell $700 million in bonds to investors before the end of the year in order to qualify for tax-exempt status, while also preparing for the next legal hurdle in October, when the state’s highest court will hear arguments against the use of eminent domain for the project.