Groundbreaking ceremony for arena (now with rooftop advertising!) set for March 11; DDDB announces effort to "protest and disrupt" event
Forest City Ratner has announced a groundbreaking for the Barclays Center arena at 1:30 pm on Thursday, March 11, even setting up a countdown clock.(Apparently, Stephen Witt's "conceptual scoop" about the beginning of arena construction was insufficient.)
From "green roof" to billboard
Note that the design of the arena, above left, has evolved somewhat, with the roof--initially announced as a "green roof"--now appearing to serve as a giant billboard.
Also note that the current arena rendering by SHoP has evolved to include more detail of the (seemingly spiffed-up and brighter) buildings along Flatbush Avenue across from the facility. The initial rendering (right) showed the neighboring structures as generic blocks.DDDB plans protest
Meanwhile, Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn is calling for arena opponents to "protest and drown out" the event:
Forest City Ratner will stage a “groundbreaking ceremony” for the money-losing Barclays Center Arena... Note there will be no groundbreaking for any "affordable housing" and the Barclays Billion Dollar Boondoggle will not house a single Brooklynite.Rest assured that Forest City Ratner and its allies in government will do their best to keep protestors away.
We use the term “stage” knowingly, since the “Atlantic Yards,” as currently conceived, cannot be built.
The ceremony of dirt shoveling pols will signify the start of prepping to eventually build an arena, not the promised affordable housing Bruce Ratner still claims he is going to build. It is a ceremony to celebrate a money-losing arena and at least 25 years of blight and interim surface parking where a neighborhood once stood.
"Rest assured that Forest City Ratner and allies in government will do their best to keep protestors away."
ReplyDeleteNo doubt. But, what will they do? The ceremony will likely take place within a fenced in lot surrounded by Flatbush and Atlantic, are they then going to fence in that fenced in lot too? Is this going to be like at the conventions or Yankees Stadium groundbreaking where they kept people miles away in "free speech zones"?
The question is: If AY and Barclays Center is so good for Brooklyn, how come the groundbreaking will be done in private behind barricades, with only the wealthy, connected, powerful and bought-off welcomed?
"Also note that the current arena rendering by SHoP has evolved to include "
ReplyDeleteAlso note that the current arena rendering by SHoP has not evolved to include anything other than the same vaportecture signifying that there are no designs for anything other than the arena.