New Barclays Renderings & Project Updates
Yesterday, Forest City released new renderings from SHoP Architects of the Barclays Arena and the public plaza planned for the triangular intersection of Atlantic and Flatbush Avenues; construction has been underway since this summer. The 38,885-square-foot plaza space—which will include a new subway entrance, seating area, and a 30 foot high canopy complete with an…
Yesterday, Forest City released new renderings from SHoP Architects of the Barclays Arena and the public plaza planned for the triangular intersection of Atlantic and Flatbush Avenues; construction has been underway since this summer. The 38,885-square-foot plaza space—which will include a new subway entrance, seating area, and a 30 foot high canopy complete with an oculus—got most of the attention in the press release and at the announcement. We of course want the Plaza to function well as a gateway to the Barclays Center, Bruce Ratner said in the release. But it was also designed much like a park so it can be programmed for community events and diverse activities, such as a greenmarket and holiday fairs. (According to reports, Ratner actually name-checked The Flea as a possible tenant for the plaza but that was news to us.) The other headline grabbing news had to do with the future of housing on the Atlantic Yards site. According to The Brooklyn Paper, there are currently plans to build just one out of the 16 promised towers, which ain’t good news to the folks who supported the project because of the supposed public benefits. “Virtually all of the economic and public benefits of the mega-development — which include more than 2,200 units of below-market-rate housing, thousands of construction jobs, tax revenues for the city, and public space — are dependent on Ratner finishing the project,” says The Brooklyn Paper.
Fashion Week Coming to Atlantic Yards? [Observer]
AY Arena Team Unveils Public Plaza Design [Curbed]
Arena Going Up — But Will Rest of Project? [BP]
New Plans for Atlantic Yards Released [NY Post]
Barclay’s Center [SHoP Architects]
helluvajob: Thank you fo injecting some facts, rather then petty invective, into this thread. Helluvajob.
Lechacal said “this is unlikely to be a meaningful part of my life, but I think it’s ironic that the chickens are coming home to roost and the people who stopped this from being a better project now get to live with the results”
So lechacal supports the project because… it’s not in his back yard. And those whose back yard it is in, lechacal doesn’t even want them to voice their concerns. Someone explain to me how this doesn’t make Lechacal the biggest NIMBY of all?
As for the project, all this debate is ridiculous. It’s a bait-and-switch. It’s a boondoggle resulting from corruption and graft. It will enrich Mr. Ratner at the cost of taxpayers. It will be somewhat uglier than it was supposed to have been. It will put extreme stress on the local neighborhood’s traffic, parking, water and school systems. These are all facts, they’ve been documented. You can argue that it will be good for Brooklyn in spite of these facts; or, like lechacal, you can argue that it’s all good because it’s Not In My Back Yard. But you can’t deny the basic facts.
NUFI = AIG subsidiary, BTW. I really don’t enjoy saying, I told you so,” in this case, but it’s true. *sigh*
god bless nimby’s. we need more of them.
Did anyone seriously think Gehry was going to do this project? He was the bait before the switch.
Too bad the “urban room” was scuttled and now we have a plaza with a wierd wart of a building sitting in the middle. Is that the Irish famine memorial repurposed as a ticket office that gave birth to tiny famine benches…or maybe it’s a green roof that someone forget to water?
Turquoise on poop color = fugly.
Ratner’s legacy makes Donald Trump’s look beautiful.
What about the housing project that Ratner promised to build behind this fine new structure?
Aren’t we excited for the new PJs?
Just for accuracy I improperly included MICHAEL VAN VALKENBURGH ASSOCIATES and SPIKE DDB, they did NOT move to Metrotech but you can substitute National Union Fire Insurance (120K ft) and Wellchoice Healthcare just to round out the list
Where exactly is the “capstone” 50-story office tower supposed to go? The Brooklyn Paper says that it’s supposed to be at Flatbush and Atlantic, but that’s where the plaza is in these renderings. I always thought it was supposed to be more between (now defunct) 5th and 6th Avenues.