Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park Report

In a mostly routine vote, the New York City Council yesterday approved siting for a 616-seat school in the tower planned for the B15 site of the Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park project, east of Sixth Avenue between Dean and Pacific streets. There was no mention of the concerted push to make the school a middle-school rather than, as tentatively planned, a school for both elementary and middle-school students. Nor was there mention of the significant concern expressed about the location across the street from the Barclays Center and near police and fire stations. At the Council's Stated Meeting , this item was packaged in a vote on numerous measures, and passed with 44 yes votes and one abstention. The abstainer was Brooklyn Council Member Inez Barron, who succeeded her husband Charles Barron as the resident gadfly. According to the video of the meeting (linked here ), beginning at about 38:50, Barron explained her vote, stating, "It's located in Atlantic Yards, that de...

Near the end of last night's Community Update meeting on Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park issues, Nicole Jordan, Community Relations Director for Empire State Development, delivered a forceful if oblique expression of concern. She cited Greg Lynch, "my field staffer," noting that "he takes photos" of construction issues but "he does not give instruction" to construction workers. "His job is to see things through the community's eyes. At no time do we want to put our employees in a position where they are hounded." "At no time should they feel that coming into this neighborhood, someone would accost them when they're just doing their job," she said, saying the same goes for contractors working for ESD, the state agency that oversees/shepherds the project. She did not reference any specific incident or person involved, but later added that "the notion of people going up and being belligerent to our staff is inappropriate....

There's been no official announcement (that I could find), but Resorts World Casino NYC (in Queens) has either taken over sponsorship of the Barclays Center plaza or has some sort of co-sponsorship deal. Note the new signage in the photo below, stating Resorts World Casino NYC Plaza. (Previously there was no such naming convention in that location; see photo here .) The signage pictured at right shows the name Daily News Plaza very much intact, but the name Resorts World Casino added at the bottom. The Casino also has wrapped the stairs to the subway entrance in advertising. (Here's a gloomy article from Narratively about the casino and the people who go there on free buses.) Does this mean the Daily News's role is gone, or diminished? (There are still bricks on the plaza with "Daily News: on them.) Stay tuned. The newspaper, after all, is going through some severe cuts, with several veterans laid off, and high-profile/high-paid columnist Mike Lupica...

At the Community Update meeting Wednesday night, Forest City Ratner executive Ashley Cotton reported that 461 Dean Street, the modular tower also known as B2, has reached the 18th floor (of 32), with construction continuing steadily. Resident Peter Krashes then posed a question to state officials, referring to my 8/31/15 article in City Limits,  Documents Reveal Woes at Pioneering Atlantic Yards Building , which was based on state documents through September 2014 that were provided in response to a Freedom of Information Law request. "One of the things that jumped out at me," said Krashes, his earnestness seemingly tempered by years of jousting over transparency, "is that the owner's representative [for the state] asked Forest City, the project manager for Forest City, three times for air monitoring to demonstrate that the mold hasn't extended beyond [updated and clarified] what is visible. And there isn't a response." To be clear, the owner'...

Until this spring, residents on Dean Street between Sixth and Vanderbilt avenues had avoided the potentially frustrating experience of having construction trucks pass regularly on their street; after all, it's not a truck route and had not been used as such during Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park demolition and construction. However, in two cases, one of them ongoing, that policy has changed and residents at a meeting last night expressed dismay about the temporary change in policy, the failure to alert them, and the delayed--and not fully convincing to them--explanation. Trucks for B2 modular tower Residents reporting on Atlantic Yards Watch in May noticed that trucks delivering modules to the B2 site at Flatbush Avenue and Dean Street were continuing on Dean as a truck route, rather than turning on Sixth Avenue. The response from Empire State Development: As 6th Avenue has been blocked by double parking and other obstructions, there are limited egress options for the wide l...

Blue fence constricts three lanes. Photo: AY webcam The traffic-clogging, pedestrian-endangering constriction of Atlantic Avenue outside the Barclays Center will continue nearly twice as long as previously predicted, near the end of 2017 instead of February 2016, as Greenland Forest City Partners completes work on a West Portal rail connection between the Vanderbilt Yard and the Atlantic Terminal LIRR station. That delayed schedule was disclosed almost casually by Forest City Ratner executive Ashley Cotton last night at the periodic Atlantic Yards Community Update meeting held at the Shirley Chisholm State Office Building at 55 Hanson Place. And it was backed up by Empire State Development (ESD), the state agency that oversees/shepherds the project. The original timeline Timeline  announced in June 2014 for green roof and West Portal work Green roof progress, delays Construction of the arena's green roof, Cotton said, "is really close to being done," ...

In this 2006 rendering by Gehry Partners, Site 5 is at left and the Miss Brooklyn tower looms over the arena The final Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park Brooklyn eminent domain condemnations are coming. That means Modell's and P.C. Richard, the cinderblock big box stores on Site 5 (of the Atlantic Terminal Urban Renewal Area) opposite the Barclays Center will be demolished for a 250-foot-high building--housing offices or apartments--with 439,050 square feet. Sam Filler, Director of Atlantic Yards Project for Empire State Development announced tonight at the periodic Community Update meeting, "We are doing our final condemnation, two tax lots, including Modell's and P.C. Richard. That process is going to take about six months." Asked why, Filler responded, "The developer requested that we move forward... and per our agreement with them, that's what we're obligated to do." It's unclear how long Modell's and P.C. Richard would keep operating...

Within the past two months, there have been relatively minor--and generally praised--bureaucratic changes in the Open Space Design Guidelines, which govern the open space within Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park. The changes, which reflect more contemporary ideas about park design and less pavement, include: the maximum amount of backless seating will increase to 35% from 25% a passive viewing pond of .3 acre will be replaced by water gardens and other distributed features acreage consumed by walkways will decline from 4.62 acres to 3.65 acres, allowing maximum planted areas to grow to 3.5 acres from 2.6 acres canopy trees will be removed from the main lawn to allow an unobstructed focal point But the way it was accomplished was less than transparent. An advisory vote at the 7/28/15 meeting of the Atlantic Yards Community Development Corporation (AY CDC) led to approval at the 8/20/15 meeting of the Empire State Development (ESD) board, which was left with a somewhat misleading ...

I should mention some other items from the Atlantic Yards Community Development Corporation meeting 7/28/15, beyond the issue of changes to the Open Space Design Guidelines. New board member A final board member was added to the list, a gubernatorial appointment:  Jennifer James , director of governmental and external affairs for CUNY Medgar Evers College. She said publicly that she had "lived in the neighborhood" (no location was given) and was "very familiar with the project." James is a former district director for Rep. Ed Towns and a  one-time candidate for the 40th District City Council seat now occupied by Mathieu Eugene. Community relations AY CDC President Marion Phillips III provided a community relations update, citing a June 10 project site tour with developer Greenland Forest City Partners, the city Department of Transportation, and the New York Police Department, "to go over concerns community has been raised... It was very productive me...

Updated with new agenda. As I wrote Aug. 18, Empire State Development announced: In consideration of summer vacation plans and to ensure the most up to date information is shared with the community we are rescheduling, the August 19th Atlantic Yards aka Pacific Park Brooklyn Community Update Meeting (formerly known as Quality of Life). The meeting is being moved to Wednesday, September 16th. The September 16th meeting will take place at: @ 6:00 PM Shirley Chisholm State Office Building 55 Hanson Place, 1st Floor Conference Room Brooklyn NY 11217 A tentative meeting agenda has been attached for your review. We look forward to seeing you then. As I wrote, the postponement also meant that officials from the developer and state get to avoid pesky questions about the intrusive 5 am noise from the  block party  Saturday, the time of which was never disclosed, or the  noisy basketball tournament  on the arena plaza, which was never announced. This revised age...

OK, remember how the Brooklyn Nets were promoting their "Core Four"  (part of the "Hello Brooklyn" strategy) or "Brooklyn's Backcourt"? Remember how four aging players who came via trade announced "We're in" ? Remember "We Are Brooklyn" ? Well, that didn't work, and the Nets are rebuilding, on the road perhaps to profit, but without even first-round draft picks until 2019. And so, yet again, they're trying to rely on Brooklyn--and their smallish core of fervent fans--to sell this next season. "Represent Brooklyn" reads the image at right, and a video below attempts to weave the Nets--and their fans--into some iconic Brooklyn shots and scenes. Yesterday those on the mailing list got offers for a Half Season Plan (starting at $35/ticket) and Pick 5 and PIX11 Plans that allow people to select games (starting at $40/ticket, with an interest-free payment plan). Yes, that WPIX strategic partnership is payi...

According to the latest Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park Brooklyn Construction Update, issued yesterday at 5:25 pm, there will be new weekend work in the Vanderbilt Yard, notably drilling of Support of Excavation piles this Saturday and Sunday. The noise level is unclear. Also sidewalks along Pacific Street, Dean Street and Sixth Avenue near the B-15 site will be partially closed at times, as geotechnical borings and test pits will be performed.. Below are excerpts from the document (in full at bottom) that indicate new work, with asterisks. LIRR Yard Activities – Night/Weekend Work During this reporting period: Weekend Electrical Utility work (conduit and support installation) is being performed inside the LIRR Tunnel and will continue during this reporting period and is currently scheduled to continue through the end of 2015. *Pending LIRR approval, drilling of Support of Excavation (SOE) piles to be performed on Saturday 9/19 and Sunday 9/20 during daytime hours. B11 – 550 Van...

Last week, at a brief City Council subcommittee hearing Tuesday and a perfunctory committee vote Wednesday, the school planned for the B15 tower in Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park moved toward approval, which should come in a full Council vote this Thursday, Sept. 17, at 1:30 pm. The vote concerned only the location of the 100,000 square-foot, 616-seat school, which the School Construction Authority has presented, tentatively, as an elementary/intermediate facility. However, only one of the three people testifying at the subcommittee hearing conveyed any of the concerns expressed about the location, and barely so, though all three community boards nearby have expressed qualms. Remember, the location is right across from the Barclays Center, on the east side of Sixth Avenue between Dean and Pacific streets, very near a police station and fire station, and with no ground-level outside space. More clear was the significant public support , including most local elected officials, for t...

On 9/8/15, Grantland's Zach Lowe published The Definitive NBA Logo Rankings . 17. BROOKLYN NETS The groundbreaking use of black-and-white sets a tone of minimalist cool, and the Nets doubled down by taking their old 3-D shield logo and flattening it into a smooth 2-D mark. But let’s not go crazy. This is basically a Thunder-style shield with a basketball inside it — one that almost resembles the negative image of an eight ball. The NBA’s worst team name doesn’t present a ton of options, so this is a nice first shot for the Brooklyn era. The Nets toyed around with other color schemes as they prepped for the Brooklyn move, and it will be interesting to see if they revisit any for future logos. That ranking is near the middle in the 30-team league (the Knicks were #25, or fifth-worst), so it's not terrible. but it's not great, which is what Nets boosters were claiming in 2012 when the new logo-- uniquely black and white --was unveiled. (And some branding experts gave pr...

A press release from Brooklyn Friends School,  A 21st Century School Grows in Brooklyn: Brooklyn Friends School Celebrates Ribbon-Cutting for New High School Facility at One MetroTech , hails a new collaboration--er, rental agreement--with landlord Forest City Ratner, which has had to accommodate a broader range of tenants as financial services and other large firms downsize their space. In the citations below, all emphases are added : Brooklyn Friends School celebrates its third century in downtown Brooklyn with the opening of a distinctly 21st-century school building. A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new, 40,000 square foot facility for the 9th through 12th grade Upper School takes place on Tues. Sept. 8, 4:15 pm at 116 Lawrence Street. The new facility, which will welcome 200 students and 40 faculty members in September, is a stand-alone “building within a building” at One MetroTech Center (the first facility constructed in MetroTech). It is just one block away from the sch...