Barclays Center Booze License Meeting: Questions, Resignation

Last night Community Boards 2 and 6 held a joint meeting concerning the impending liquor license application for the Barclays Center. Representatives from Levy Restaurants, the company that will run all concessions, explained the details of the liquor and food service to come, but concerned residents were more interested in the quality-of-life issues affected by said liquor license. It seemed the applicants were less prepared to answer questions about Barclays’ future involvement in the surrounding community, a topic brought up by many speakers. As for details on the license, there will be 57 different points of sale for alcohol at the arena and “hawkers,” who will sell food and beverages throughout the stands. (Typically major sports venues hire one hawker per 300 people.) The events are expected to end around 11:30pm, with alcohol service ceasing one hour before an event’s end. There will also be a wide variety of food selection, with some offerings “inspired by Brooklyn.” There weren’t any menus to show at the meeting. Reps were also quick to point out the building will provide outside and inside security and will be working with NYPD as well. Meeting with community boards to jump-start local hiring for the arena should begin next month, they said.

When it was time for residents to speak, it was clear there are still a lot of unanswered questions regarding the arena’s safety and traffic plans. Council Member Tish James (in the video, above) urged the application to be held off since it won’t be in use until September. Other residents asked if the arena might hire a community task force or a cleanup crew to keep tabs on surrounding neighborhoods after events. Residents also expressed concern that Levy Restaurants wasn’t planning on using ID readers to check for fake IDs. The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, BAM, and a local business owner spoke in support of the application, noting how much business it will bring to the area.

Despite all the discussion, as one CB6 Member said: “No one is under the illusion that the SLA will deny this liquor license.” So the boards discussed a list of stipulations for the applicants, like clear traffic and security plans, coordination with the police department, and reevaluating the license after one year. Ultimately CB2 approved the liquor license with stipulations and CB6 tabled the application until later this month and asked the applicant to meet with the community in regards to unresolved issues. The motions will move onto the full boards, both of which have meetings tonight. Click through to see more video from last night.

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