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Next week, two big shows, and a (possible? likely?) street closing outside Barclays Center (plus more evasiveness)

At last night's Community Update meeting, the periodic opportunity for project/arena developers to share information, Barclays Center Community Affairs Manager Terence Kelly announced that two major music shows next week would have a high profile, hinted that a street might close, and was evasive in response to some other questions.

Asked directly if a street might close for the Tidal concert, the philanthropic event Tuesday Oct. 20 aimed to promote the Jay-Z-organized music streaming service, Kelly responded, "It is possible, and we would certainly disclose this as soon as we know."

He promised more information in an e-blast today. The concert involves big names such as Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, Usher, Lil Wayne, and maybe Prince.

"We'll notice you as soon as we know if we’re closing the street," added Forest City Ratner executive Ashley Cotton. "We pushed really hard to see if we had all the details... It's just not sealed up... remember, the street closures happen because the police want it…If we are requesting permits to close streets, we will notify you."

It's kind of murky to me whether this is a decision pushed by the cops or by the arena operators. Surely there's interplay, at minimum, rather than an imposition by government.

"With all the stakeholders that have been trying to bring this event together," Kelly said, "it is absolutely the intention to not have it go into the residential neighborhood, and to have it controlled and be towards the larger arteries of Atlantic and Flatbush." (Remember, intentions don't necessarily mean reality.)

"Is the red carpet being filmed?" he was asked.

Kelly didn't say no, but that they'd share more information when they know. (Surely, if there are plans to film the red carpet, they're already percolating.)

Are producers bringing people to line the red carpet outside the arena entrance?

"It’s very unlikely," responded Kelly, promising to share more information when available. (Again, they don't know less than a week ahead of time?)

Major events

He described Tidal as "a major showcase" with a "high profile" and "some external event production activity," which he described as a red carpet outside the arena's Dean Street entrance

He said outside event activity would start at about 5 pm, with the program starting at 8 pm and running through "approximately midnight."

Told it was a school night, Kelly said there'd be a considerable police presence for both Tidal and the Powerhouse 2015 event on Thursday, October 22.

Regarding Tidal, at least, he said, "we're not going to have egress on—or its very unlikely except for emergencies… we'll have egress to main subway entrance and keeping people towards there."

(We'll see if there's Dean Street egress for Powerhouse. Kelly didn't say how long it would go.)

Kelly predicted 12,000 to 13,000 people for Tidal, and 15,000 for Powerhouse, calling them "major events compared to" the Islanders or the Nets (which can draw 15,000-plus).

Tidal, he said, was "really built for television."

A Fall Family Fest

Kelly also announced a Fall Family Fest 11 am to 3 pm on the arena plaza on Saturday October 24, with more details coming today.

Asked if there would be a DJ, Kelly said yes, promising it would be family-friendly and saying "there may be sound checks" beforehand.

At 7 am, he was asked.

"No way," he responded.

"You know you did that before," he was told, with sound checks at 6 am for a Nike basketball tournament on the plaza in August.

"This isn’t similar in nature," Kelly responded. "It is much more contained, controlled, very straightforward, very family friendly."

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