Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park Report

Workshop Yields a Few Clues on Project’s Future, But Big Questions Still Loom ( link ) Developers might re-start construction in two years. They (vaguely) promise lower-income housing. How much depends on “public resources.” Accountability? Stay tuned.

How Dense Would Atlantic Yards Be? Very Dense. ( link ) At a proposed 9,000 units and 19,000-plus residents over 22 acres, would the project have any peers? Advocate last month: "It does not feel like community. It feels like towers."

New (Unofficial) Images Suggest Supersized Atlantic Yards Must Be Far Larger Than Hinted ( link ) How could 2.1M square feet of bulk be added to five sites over the railyard?

I already cited the press release from Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, Jan. 16,  Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment Announces Reimagined Premium Event-level Experience at Barclays Center , in my other coverage today about BSE, but let's capture the full press release and a few highlights. First, the claimed investment to revamp arena spaces is now up to $140 million, after long being said to be $100 million--even in a document I cited today. While the space at the western end of the arena would replace what's now called the Qatar Airways Club, that (expiring, departing) sponsor goes unmentioned. Surely there will be a new one. "Spanning more than 9,000 square feet and accommodating 360 members, the space is inspired by the layered evolution of DUMBO, where industrial roots meet modern refinement," the announcement states.  Well, they've invoked "brownstone" before, so they're just doubling down. Except the heritage of DUMBO is anchored in histo...

After 7.5 Years as BSE Global, Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment Wisely Retakes Original Name, Focusing on Local ( link ) "The Brooklyn Way," though, relies on secondhand concepts of "Unfiltered Authenticity" & "Relentless Hustle" Also, hints about One Hanson, but not hotel.

Photos: Norman Oder On Jan. 4, the publication Park Slope Pulse published Why 30+ Local Businesses closed in 2025 across Park Slope, Prospect Heights, and Gowanus , with a closer look at Bergen Street. "Several owners specifically cited rent hikes along the Bergen Street corridor between 5th Avenue and Flatbush Avenue - a stretch long known for independent boutiques and eateries," the publication reported. "Business owners have also reported similar rent increases along 5th Avenue." As I  reported last year, longtime landlords, the Pintchik family, sold 26 buildings, including 11 on Bergen Street for $102.5 million to the Ostad brothers. of Tristar Management. The total included 32 retail spaces and 80 apartments. Given the original owners' low cost basis, they were known for reasonable rents. That was expected to change, and it apparently did. (The new owners have not, however, added floors to the buildings.)  "Notice to the Customer," reads the sign...

So, is the Brooklyn Basketball Training Center, in the former Modell's store across Flatbush Avenue from the Barclays Center, a place for social uplift? Or for pursuit of profit? Probably more of the latter, though BSE Global, which operates the center (and owns the arena company and the Brooklyn Nets/New York Liberty), surely wants to emphasize the former. Consider: the Training Center last Dec. 6 hosted an event for more than 60 youths sponsored by Common's Free to Dream initiative, in partnership with the Brooklyn Nets and the Social Justice Fund established by BSE Global owners Joe and Clara Wu Tsai.  (See NetsDaily's  Common and the Social Justice Fund team up to help Brooklyn , which noted that some students came from Paterson, NJ.) View this post on Instagram A post shared by FREE TO DREAM™ (@iam_freetodream) Cross promotions It involved "inspiring keynotes, interactive workshops, and a premium game-day experience at the Barclays Center,...

New Views of Site 5: 2021 Schematic and Glass-Walled Structure. Plus: Unofficial Rendering ( link )  This contrasts with the flat image, which ignored a Pacific Street loading dock, released at the recent workshop seeking public input.

According to the latest Form 990 return ( here , and bottom) to the IRS, the Pacific Park Conservancy, which manages the project's publicly accessible open space, increased its revenue slightly and its spending significantly in calendar year 2024. Presumably, the numbers for 2025 will be as robust. It raised $1,024,034 in 2023 and $1,115,763 in 2024, in assessments from project buildings. However, while it reported $657,789 in 2023 expenses, in 2024 it spent a more robust $1,091,854. The latter included: Landscaping: $237,350 Security: $178,413 Cleaning: $90,727 Pest control: $13,200 Repair and maintenance: $32,863 Utilities: $132,037 Supplies & equipment: $18,224 Irrigation: $12,334 Added to that $715,148 total was $351,650 in insurance. In 2023, by contrast, it spent  far less on property expenses, including $65,840 on landscaping and $31,384 on cleaning.  Ramping up? As I wrote last April, to improve oversight and maintenance, the Conservancy hired Streetplus , a Brook...

Atlantic Yards in 2026: The Future Looms, But Remains Murky (& Selectively Portrayed) ( link ) Many questions for the next workshop. Also: what subsidies are sought? Can't we get more honest images? What's next from BSE Global's Brooklyn "ecosystem"? What's the surprise?