Barclays Center: adapting to #COVID-19 on the entrance plaza, and a #CovidMemorial

The Barclays Center last Thursday, 3/11/21, hosted its first Brooklyn Nets game at 10% of capacity, or about 1,770 attendees, which required use of the plaza rather than, as with earlier games hosting just 300 ticketholders, a tent at the Dean Street entrance.

As shown in the photo at right, the plaza offered multple entrances, including those for testing, for those using the mobile app CLEAR to validate coronavirus test results, and to those without the CLEAR app.

(Also note: that new digital signage over the entrance programmed for the game.)

Using the plaza and perimeter

The arena operators were (and are) making significant use of available real estate at the plaza and in the building perimeter. 

As shown above, they uses metal fencing--as in the past--to segment crowds on this privately managed public space.

As shown at left, one entrance was used for COVID-19 testing.

As shown at right, part of the arena space, formerly the team store, is being used for testing. 

What happened to Starbucks?

Remember the Starbucks coffee shop on the arena plaza, close to Atlantic Avenue?

Well, a lot of urban Starbucks shops have shut down during the pandemic, and the one on the plaza, which relied in part on arena activities, is no exception.

As shown in the photo below, it's being used as entry access for one class of ticketholders, those with red (as opposed to green or yellow) credentials. It also has a red sign from BioReference labs.

A COVID-19 memorial

Yesterday, the city held a COVID-19 memorial ceremony (YouTube link), and the Barclays Center, among others, did its part, programming commercial signage into civic signage.

One year ago today, it was confirmed we lost our first New Yorker to COVID-19. Today we remember and honor family, friends, and heroes lost this past year. #CovidMemorial #BrooklynTogether pic.twitter.com/ojlMxPB5PF

— Barclays Center (@barclayscenter) March 14, 2021

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