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Today's The Big Day at Atlantic Yards

Categories: Atlantic Yards

yards-groundbreaking-031110.jpg
After the years of lawsuits (the last of which was concluded yesterday), public acrimony and lack of transparency, Bruce Ratner is scheduled to break ground on his divisive Atlantic Yards project this morning. At this point, all we can really do is hope that the whole project ends up being not nearly as ugly, congestive and delayed as many people fear. Just because Bruce is breaking out the back-hoes, however, don't expect that the most die-hard opponents will be hiding in the shadows. Though there was no sign of any drama outside the groundbreaking tent when we cycled past earlier this morning, the day promises to be full of surprises, Freddy's style. The official groundbreaking ceremony starts at 1:30 and the anti-Yards contingent will gather outside Freddy's bar at 12:30. We'll update this post with photos as they start to hit the interwebs. Update: Curbed is live-blogging the event, along with photos from pre-game show at Freddy's, here.



By Brownstoner at March 11, 2010 9:30 AM | Comments (34)

34 Comments

By daveinbedstuy on March 11, 2010 9:33 AM

Are they serving free drinks??

By chuck on March 11, 2010 9:39 AM

Of course they're serving free drinks - and we taxpayers paid for them!

I love buying billionaires drinks. They've had it so rough lately.

By bxgrl on March 11, 2010 9:42 AM

Indeed they have, chuck. But I'm sure the lack of transparency more than makes up for their pain. It certainly won't make up for ours.

By Arkady on March 11, 2010 9:43 AM

Dibs - There's a demo at 12:30 meeting at Freddie's & moving on to disrupt groundbreaking so there're sure to be drinks - I'll buy you one if you're there!

By daveinbedstuy on March 11, 2010 9:48 AM

TARP money paid for a lot of off-site drinks at AIG.

stevieB

By daveinbedstuy on March 11, 2010 9:51 AM

Arkady, can I get the free drinks even if I'm not reall opposed, or, at least, agnostic?

I'd actually carry an opposition rally sign if I got free drinks. We all know I have no scruples.

By Petebklyn on March 11, 2010 9:52 AM

I'll buy you drink at first game, DIBS. Now is it hockey or basketball that will be played there?

By bxgrl on March 11, 2010 9:53 AM

dave- I think people would admire you so much for your honesty and transparency about your lack of scruples that they will buy you drinks in any case.

By Guvna on March 11, 2010 9:55 AM

I wouldnt mind having a few free drinks at Freddies, and then buying a Brooklyn Nets hat. Are they available yet?

By tybur6 on March 11, 2010 9:55 AM

I think it going to be an Ice Dancing and WNBA area now.

By Arkady on March 11, 2010 9:55 AM

Dibs - I'm going to the cash machine now.

By Montrose Morris on March 11, 2010 9:56 AM

You go, rabble rousers! Just don't get hurt.

This will be the gift that keeps on giving to all of the affected areas and beyond. Sucks, big time.

By daveinbedstuy on March 11, 2010 9:58 AM

Thanks tybur6, I'm just hoping Florent Amodio skates there someday.

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?_adv_prop=image&fr=slv8-msgr&va=florent+amodio&sz=all

By Rookie on March 11, 2010 9:59 AM

Monday night, at the Garden watching the Knicks, all I could think about was how excited I'll be to trade that seat in for Broklyn Nets season tickets!

By East New York on March 11, 2010 10:02 AM


About time. Let's get started. I want to see some games.

By Joe from Brooklyn on March 11, 2010 10:03 AM

I will not be attending any games there unless the tickets are comps.
The only way I would shell out money for a pro-sports game played in a tax-payer funded arena would be if they brought the Dodgers back. That way the traffic is gonna be on Flatbush Ave the name "Dodger" will be appropriate!

By Ben Gazi on March 11, 2010 10:08 AM

I hear the judge is a big drinker.Almoist hourly.

By Sparafucile on March 11, 2010 10:09 AM

Congratulations to the arena supporters. It must be immensely gratifying to know that Brooklyn will be joining the ranks of 'big league' NBA cities like San Antonio, Memphis, and Oklahoma City.

By daveinbedstuy on March 11, 2010 10:10 AM

"I will not be attending any games there unless the tickets are comps."

Entitlement runs rampant through this part of Brooklyn.

By East New York on March 11, 2010 10:12 AM


"The only way I would shell out money for a pro-sports game played in a tax-payer funded arena would be if they brought the Dodgers back."

I'm sure the franchise will be sent reeling from this stunning revelation.

By Rookie on March 11, 2010 10:21 AM

"The only way I would shell out money for a pro-sports game played in a tax-payer funded arena would be if they brought the Dodgers back."

You must not watch a lot of sports. I would peg the # of major-sports arenas in the us that have been built in the last 20 years without some sort of public subsidy at.....zero.

By Guvna on March 11, 2010 10:22 AM

Will any of the players be there today? Probably not. Dont want to stink up the joint. Maybe they will have life size cutouts of Lebron for the photo ops, lol

By mshook on March 11, 2010 10:39 AM

Mmm, DIBS, he's dreamy! Next olympics I bet he medals.

By tiptoe on March 11, 2010 11:48 AM

What's already been done (closed lanes of traffic, ugly fencing etc.) is already a pain in the ass. It's only going to get worse, not better.

By Brownstones Half Off on March 11, 2010 12:01 PM

Yeah, I saw it in The Daily News this morning. The Nets better stop suckin'!

***Bid half off peak comps***

By Heather on March 11, 2010 12:37 PM

I hope this will not impede my trip to Old Navy this afternoon! No, seriously, it's... well, a clusterfeck.

By BoerumHill on March 11, 2010 12:38 PM

shovel in the ground
shovel in the ground
lookin' like a fool with yer shovel in the ground

with Goldstein on yer butt
hat turned sideways
shovel hit the ground
call yourself a fat cat
lookin' like a fool
walkin' downtown with yer shovel in the ground

get it up, hey!
get yer shovel outta the ground
lookin' like a fool
walkin' talkin' with yer shovel in the ground.

get it up, hey!
get yer shovel outta the ground
lookin' like a fool with yer shvoel in the ground

By Guvna on March 11, 2010 12:40 PM

bad traffic gets worse with the arena. thats a given, but it was never going to get better in any case. Making it worse isnt ideal, but lets not pretend that it was ever a pleasure driving near the place. In time, people will adjust.

By antidope on March 11, 2010 12:50 PM

i'd rather put my hand in a blender than drive through atlantic/flatbush/fourth.

and that was before construction began.

By infinitejester on March 11, 2010 12:57 PM

Freddy's used to be an afterthought bar, out of the way and too weird to keep fans. I liked that; that's me. The best nights were comedy nights on Mondays, 20 people in the place, all 30 or older.

Now that it's about to close, every night is like Saturday - roadtrippers stopping through, oh yeah, went to that place once in 08, kinda small, yeah, I must be cool.

Like Churchill said, in fact it's been completely spoilt.

By Sparafucile on March 11, 2010 1:19 PM

" "I will not be attending any games there unless the tickets are comps."

Entitlement runs rampant through this part of Brooklyn. "

Or maybe since our tax dollars are already going to build the arena, we unwilling benefactors shouldn't be required to pay again.

By Big Jugs on March 11, 2010 6:11 PM

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D-O-N-E-D-E-A-L!!! D-O-N-E-D-E-A-L!!! D-O-N-E-D-E-A-L!!!
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D-O-N-E-D-E-A-L!!! D-O-N-E-D-E-A-L!!! D-O-N-E-D-E-A-L!!!
D-O-N-E-D-E-A-L!!! D-O-N-E-D-E-A-L!!! D-O-N-E-D-E-A-L!!!
D-O-N-E-D-E-A-L!!! D-O-N-E-D-E-A-L!!! D-O-N-E-D-E-A-L!!!
D-O-N-E-D-E-A-L!!! D-O-N-E-D-E-A-L!!! D-O-N-E-D-E-A-L!!!
D-O-N-E-D-E-A-L!!! D-O-N-E-D-E-A-L!!! D-O-N-E-D-E-A-L!!!
D-O-N-E-D-E-A-L!!! D-O-N-E-D-E-A-L!!! D-O-N-E-D-E-A-L!!!
D-O-N-E-D-E-A-L!!! D-O-N-E-D-E-A-L!!! D-O-N-E-D-E-A-L!!!
D-O-N-E-D-E-A-L!!! D-O-N-E-D-E-A-L!!! D-O-N-E-D-E-A-L!!!
D-O-N-E-D-E-A-L!!! D-O-N-E-D-E-A-L!!! D-O-N-E-D-E-A-L!!!
D-O-N-E-D-E-A-L!!! D-O-N-E-D-E-A-L!!! D-O-N-E-D-E-A-L!!!
D-O-N-E-D-E-A-L!!! D-O-N-E-D-E-A-L!!! D-O-N-E-D-E-A-L!!!
D-O-N-E-D-E-A-L!!! D-O-N-E-D-E-A-L!!! D-O-N-E-D-E-A-L!!!
D-O-N-E-D-E-A-L!!! D-O-N-E-D-E-A-L!!! D-O-N-E-D-E-A-L!!!

By BrooklynLove on March 11, 2010 8:13 PM

obama is a total disaster and ratner wins. it's been a tough stretch for the sheep.

By Grumpy on March 11, 2010 10:30 PM

Oh, its a long way from being done. Three years for the arena, with luck. Decades for the rest of the buildings. Never for the needy.

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