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picture © SHoP Architects

Barclays Center Brooklyn : background information

Barclays Center LEED Certification – 23 Jul 2013

Apr 13, 2012

Barclays Center Jets News

Team to be known as the Brooklyn Nets

BROOKLYN, NY – The NBA Board of Governors today unanimously approved the relocation of the Nets to Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The vote by the NBA teams was held at the NBA Board of Governors meeting in Manhattan.

image © SHoP Architects

The Brooklyn Nets will play in the new 18,200-seat Barclays Center on Atlantic and Flatbush avenues at the start of the 2012-13 NBA season.

Nets principal owner Mikhail Prokhorov and Barclays Center developer and majority owner Bruce Ratner issued the following joint statement: “We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to David Stern and the NBA team owners for their role in making the Nets’ move to Brooklyn a reality. Barclays Center will give the Nets a state-of-the-art new home and, together, we will give Brooklyn the great sports and entertainment experience it so deserves. We are looking forward to the opening of Barclays Center on September 28 and to the start of the next NBA season as the Brooklyn Nets.”

Apr 3, 2012

Barclays Center Hotel News

New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge named as the Official Hotel of Barclays Center

BROOKLYN, NY, April 3, 2012 – Muss Development LLC and Barclays Center announced today that the New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge has been named as the Official Hotel of Barclays Center. The alliance brings together a world-class hotel located in Downtown Brooklyn with one of the most highly anticipated sports and entertainment arenas in the country.

image © SHoP Architects

Upon the arena’s opening in September 2012, Barclays Center and the hotel expect to have basketball teams, performers, concertgoers, and those attending other top events at the arena staying at the New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge. The Atlantic 10 will be using the Brooklyn Marriott as the hotel headquarters for the A-10 Men’s Basketball Championships which will be held at the Barclays Center.

In September 2006, the hotel completed a 24-story expansion tower, enabling the hotel to reach out to long-lead groups and convention business, while remaining flexible to meet local needs and provide availability for individual business and leisure travelers. All 667 rooms are completely new or renovated, with Marriott’s signature bedding and furnishings, including flat screen TVs, connectivity panels, built-in coffee nooks and mini-refrigerators.

Immediately adjacent to the hotel is a newly upgraded, landscaped plaza and Brooklyn’s new “Restaurant Row” which includes Panera Bread, Shake Shack, soon-to-be-opened American BBQ and Beer and Sugar & Plumm, with even more to come.

About the New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge
The New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge is located at 333 Adams Street in Downtown Brooklyn. For reservations and information, call: 1-800-228-9290 or visit www.brooklynmarriott.com

Barclays Center
Scheduled to open in September 2012, Barclays Center will be a major sports and entertainment venue in the heart of Brooklyn, New York. Developed by Brooklyn-based real estate developer Forest City Ratner Companies, and designed by the award-winning architectural firms AECOM and SHoP Architects.

Jan 31, 2012

Barclays Center NHL News

First-ever NHL game to be played in Brooklyn

Game to be held October 2, 2012 vs. New Jersey Devils

UNIONDALE, NY/BROOKLYN (January 31, 2012) –The New York Islanders will play the first-ever NHL game at Barclays Center on Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2012 when they take on the New Jersey Devils at 7:30 p.m. The preseason game will mark the first hockey event at Barclays Center, the new major sports and entertainment venue, which will officially open on September 28 with the first of multiple JAY-Z concerts. The game will also mark the first NHL game to be played in Brooklyn.

image © SHoP Architects

“We’re extremely excited to play the first NHL game in the new, state-of-the-art Barclays Center,” Islanders General Manager Garth Snow said. “We already have some of the most passionate fans in the league supporting our young team, and we are looking forward to expanding our base into Brooklyn.”

“We feel Brooklyn is an untapped hockey market that offers the Islanders with an exciting opportunity to grow its fan base,” Barclays Center CEO Brett Yormark said. “Barclays Center will also afford current Islander fans with great accessibility, as the Long Island Rail Road and nine subway lines will come directly to the arena at the Atlantic Terminal transit hub.”

In addition to hosting hockey, Barclays Center will showcase an extensive variety of more than 220 events annually, including premier concerts, monthly major professional boxing cards, top college basketball, family shows, and NETS Basketball. Some of the special programming that is already scheduled includes JAY-Z, Andrea Bocelli, the Barclays Center Classic college basketball tournament, presented by Sheets Brand, featuring Kentucky vs. Maryland, Atlantic 10 Men’s Basketball Championship, Coaches vs. Cancer Classic, Legends Classic, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Disney on Ice, and the New York Masters equestrian show jumping competition. Current programming alliances with Barclays Center include Golden Boy Promotions, IMG, Feld Entertainment, Lagardère Unlimited, and the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Jan 13, 2012

Barclays Center Construction News

Topping Out

FOREST CITY RATNER COMPANIES, HUNT CONSTRUCTION GROUP, INC. AND MORE THAN 500 WORKERS CELEBRATE TOPPING OUT OF BARCLAYS CENTER

BROOKLYN — Forest City Ratner Companies, Hunt Construction Group, Inc., Banker Steel, J.F. Stearns Company, Onexim Sports & Entertainment, and NETS Basketball celebrated the topping out of Barclays Center in a ceremony today at the arena site in Brooklyn.

image from Barclays Center developer

The event marked the significant milestone of the completion of the 10,400 pounds of structural steel for Barclays Center, the major sports and entertainment venue opening at Atlantic and Flatbush Avenues in September 2012. Erection of steel commenced in November 2010.

Forest City Ratner Chairman and CEO Bruce Ratner, the arena developer, visited Barclays Center today and congratulated the more than 500 workers on their momentous achievement.

“From Day One, I said I want to develop great things that create jobs, and that’s what we’re doing by building this spectacular arena,” said Mr. Ratner. “In just eight months we will open Barclays Center and bring many exciting events here, where your hard work will be appreciated by millions of people for years to come. I can’t thank you enough for your dedication. And, most importantly, it’s all union, union, union as we continue to build important projects for the city and the state.”

“Hunt Construction wants to thank Forest City Ratner Companies and NETS Basketball for the opportunity to participate on this landmark project,” said H. Mark Gladden, Project Executive for Hunt Construction Group, Inc. “We also congratulate our partners Banker Steel, J.F. Stearns Company and Ironworkers Local 361 in topping out the Barclays Center steel framing. We look forward to the grand opening and ribbon cutting this fall!”

The NETS thanked the workers by providing 1,000 tickets to upcoming weekend games, and Hunt Construction provided the workers with celebratory Barclays Center Topping Out long-sleeve t-shirts.

Designed by the award-winning architectural firms AECOM (www.aecom.com/architecture) and SHoP Architects (www.shoparc.com), Barclays Center will have one of the most intimate seating configurations ever designed into a modern multi-purpose arena, with unparalleled sightlines and first-class amenities. Barclays Center will offer approximately 18,000 seats for basketball and up to 19,000 seats for concerts, and will also have 100 luxury suites, four bars/lounges, three clubs, and a restaurant.

Barclays Center will host an extensive variety of events, including premier concerts, monthly major professional boxing cards, top college basketball and hockey, family shows, and NETS Basketball. Some of the special programming that is already scheduled includes JAY-Z, who will open the building on September 28, Andrea Bocelli, the Barclays Center Classic men’s college basketball tournament, Atlantic 10 Men’s Basketball Championship, Coaches vs. Cancer Classic, Legends Classic, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, and Disney on Ice, and the New York Masters equestrian show jumping. Current programming alliances with Barclays Center include Golden Boy Promotions, IMG, Feld Entertainment, Lagardère Unlimited, and the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

In addition to Barclays, the naming rights partner, Founding Partners for Barclays Center include Cushman & Wakefield, EmblemHealth, Foxwoods Resort Casino, MetroPCS, Stolichnaya, and Tyco. Other sponsors include: Anheuser-Busch, The Coca-Cola Company, Haier America, High Point Solutions, Phillips-Van Heusen, and Willis.

Located atop one of the largest transportation hubs in New York City, Barclays Center will be accessible by nine subway lines and the Long Island Rail Road.

Jan 4, 2012

Barclays Center NETS Basketball News

15 MetroTech Center Office Lease

BROOKLYN – NETS Basketball has taken another major step toward its move to Brooklyn by signing a long-term lease for office space at 15 MetroTech Center to serve as the team’s corporate headquarters.

image © SHoP Architects

The 35,145-square-foot workplace occupying the entire 11th floor of the 19-story building will be the home office for 150 employees on the business side of NETS Basketball and Barclays Center. It is expected that the staff will begin its relocation process from its current offices in East Rutherford, NJ next month.

Jan 4, 2012

Barclays Center Disney Institute News

BARCLAYS CENTER TEAMS WITH DISNEY INSTITUTE

Relationship to Create Unique Guest Experience in New York

BROOKLYN – Barclays Center is teaming with Disney Institute in striving to redefine the guest experience for major sports and entertainment venues in New York. In bringing the world-renowned Disney customer experience to Brooklyn when the arena opens in September 2012, Barclays Center will provide visitors with unmatched ‘Street-to-Seat’ service and hospitality.

image © SHoP Architects

“Anybody who has visited Walt Disney World recognizes that Disney delivers the preeminent customer experience and that’s what we plan to bring to our guests at Barclays Center,” said Barclays Center CEO Brett Yormark. “Through our alliance with Disney Institute, we will employ the Disney approach to guest services at Barclays Center to create a truly unique fan experience in one of the most stunningly designed venues in the world.”

As part of its comprehensive, customized approach to Barclays Center, Disney Institute will offer unique experiential services and best practice training for arena staff, as well as recommendations and input on creative design ideas such as signage, guest flow, and in-game staff outfitting.

“Barclays Center is going to great lengths to ensure a world-class customer experience,” said Jeff James, vice president, Disney Institute. “This is the most extensive program that Disney Institute has developed for a sports and entertainment venue to date. We feel confident that customers will see the difference.”

The Barclays Center is Designed by the award-winning architectural firms AECOM and SHoP Architects.

Oct 25, 2011

Barclays Center Roof

The roof has started on the Barclays Center

image from Barclays Center / NETS Basketball

Oct 7, 2011

Barclays Center ArtBridge

BROOKLYN, NY (October 6, 2011) – ArtBridge, the Chelsea-based nonprofit organization best known for transforming construction sites into public exhibition space for local emerging artists, announces its latest installation, “Works in Progress,” opening October 20th, 2011. The work of 20 emerging artists living or working in Brooklyn will adorn nearly 2,500 square feet of construction fencing around the perimeter of the Atlantic Yards Development, Brooklyn’s largest construction site. The installation was organized by ArtBridge and curated by internationally-renowned artist Vik Muniz, humble arts foundation founder Amani Olu, and Brooklyn Museum’s Managing Curator of Contemporary Art, Eugenie Tsai. Installation is scheduled to begin on-site Monday, October 17. A private press and artists opening reception will be held October 20th at 6:30-8:30 pm. Please inquire for an invitation.

Jordana Zeldin, ArtBridge’s Director and a resident of nearby Clinton Hill, stated “I’ve always been interested in the process of making something as much as, if not more than, in the finished product,” Zeldin said. “The exhibition site itself, a setting in transition, mirrors on an a large urban scale the act each artist goes through to create their work. This show attempts to address public and private process through the eyes of these Brooklyn artists.”

The installation of nineteen works of art by twenty artists from all over Brooklyn provides a unique opportunity for them to present their work in a grand scale. Each piece, up to forty feet in length, references or reveals something about the “action” of the artistic process. The show is intended by ArtBridge to create a dialogue on the urban experience via its’ residents own perceptions. The curators were very hands-on while choosing pieces for inclusion, selecting works for their visual contrast, as well as their diverse points of view.

Of the curatorial process, Amani Olu says, “Most interesting to me was the wide variety of approaches each artist took in addressing the idea of process in their work. My hope is that the installation will reflect this wide spectrum of engagement and and increase the relationship between the public and the contemporary artists living in Brooklyn today.”

The dynamic group of emerging artists was chosen from nearly 200 submissions and live/work in diverse neighborhoods all over Brooklyn. From established creative communities like Bed-Stuy, Fort Greene/Clinton Hill and Williamsburg — to other areas of the borough such as Gravesend, Sunset Park and Lefferts Gardens, among others. With “Works in Progress,” ArtBridge hopes to engage local artists in a dialogue with the City, while simultaneously brightening the neighborhood experience of pedestrians and community residents alike.

MaryAnne Gilmartin, the Forest City Ratner Companies Executive Vice President in charge of the Atlantic Yards Project, said, “Development is very much a process that combines land, materials and human action to create something new. We’re thrilled to provide a backdrop for ArtBridge to work with Brooklyn artists to explore the creative process.”

One artist was selected by the curatorial panel to win a $1,000 honorarium—ArtBidge will announce the winner at the organization’s opening reception on October 20th at 6:30-8:30. The installation was generously supported by United Hoisting and Scaffolding and Forest City Ratner.

Visit ArtBridge at www.art-bridge.org, Information on Atlantic Yards: www.atlanticyards.com

ABOUT ARTBRIDGE: ArtBridge is a Chelsea-based organization that is dedicated to transforming city surfaces into larger-than-life canvases for the work of emerging artists. Since its founding in 2008 by artist and designer, Rodney Durso, ArtBridge has introduced the art-enthusiast and passerby alike to the work of more than 50 emerging artists with two, 2,000 square foot outdoor installations in the heart of the Chelsea gallery district and most recently, a 1,200 square foot solo installation in DUMBO. It is ArtBridge’s mission to continue to bring its installations to neighborhoods and communities throughout the five boroughs (and the country), giving emerging artists unprecedented exposure in unexpected places. www.art-bridge.org.

Sep 27, 2011

Barclays Center

JAY-Z announces that he will open the Barclays Center in September 2012

JAY-Z reveals that Nets ownership has selected the team name Brooklyn Nets

BROOKLYN, NY – Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter announced today that he will be the first performer to play the Barclays Center of Brooklyn when the venue opens in September 2012.

Speaking at a major press event on the plaza at Atlantic Terminal, overlooking the under-construction Barclays Center, JAY-Z also revealed that ownership of Brooklyn’s future NBA franchise has chosen Brooklyn Nets as the team’s name.

image © SHoP Architects

JAY-Z was joined on the dais by Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, Forest City Ratner Companies Chairman and CEO Bruce Ratner, and Barclays Center and Nets CEO Brett Yormark.

“From the moment the Barclays Center became a reality, I knew this meant something significant for Brooklyn,” said JAY-Z. “This is where I’m from, I’ll always be Brooklyn, and opening this arena will mean more to me than anywhere else. I also look forward to opening night for the Brooklyn Nets. We’re going to create an atmosphere like only Brooklyn can.”

“Brooklyn is where legends are made and dreams come true—and no one proves it more than our very own JAY-Z, a dedicated philanthropist, innovative artist, entrepreneur and cultural icon who, as a Nets investor, helped take my vision of bringing a professional basketball team to the ‘center court’ of Brooklyn and drove it in for the layup,” said Borough President Markowitz. “I am thrilled to join Bruce Ratner, FCRC, Brett Yormark, and the Nets organization today in announcing that JAY-Z will perform at the opening of the Barclays Center. As for the selection of the Brooklyn team name, was there ever any doubt? It’s ‘nothing but Nets!’”

“Who else but JAY-Z could open the Barclays Center?” said Bruce Ratner, the developer of the Barclays Center. “JAY-Z is a world icon, but more importantly, he’s Brooklyn’s icon. For the past seven years, Jay has been a great partner of mine and a true friend. It’s going to be an incredible experience next year when JAY-Z, Brooklyn’s own, takes the stage to open the Barclays Center and our vision becomes a reality.”

“We are proud to announce this highly anticipated decision to name the team the Brooklyn Nets, a choice which reflects the decades-long tradition of our team and fans, as well as the dynamic new place that will be our home,” Nets Chairman Chris Charlier said. “JAY-Z embodies the spirit of Brooklyn – its energy, guts and spirit. We are delighted our friend and partner will be opening the Barclays Center.”

“JAY-Z is truly the face of the Barclays Center and of the Brooklyn Nets,” Brett Yormark said. “There’s no better alignment than to have a world-class venue and team with a world-class entertainer.”

In celebration of his announcements, JAY-Z welcomed 25 students to the event today from his alma mater, George Westinghouse High School, which is located one mile from the Barclays Center site.

Today, the Nets unveiled a new multi-faceted marketing campaign for the fall phase of the All Access Pass featuring JAY-Z. The campaign is mainly targeting the Wall Street area and all of lower Manhattan because of its close accessibility to the Barclays Center. The Get All Access to JAY-Z advertisement can be seen on 250,000 coffee cups sold in delicatessens and other locations where coffee is sold, 150 taxi tops throughout Manhattan, telephone kiosks strategically located in SoHo and Tribeca, in several print publications, and on a billboard across the street from the Barclays Center site. The campaign also includes a major direct mail component.

Sep 29, 2010

Plaza at Barclays Center

PLAZA AT BARCLAYS CENTER TO INCLUDE NEW TRANSIT ENTRANCE WITH GREEN ROOF, LANDSCAPING AND OPEN SPACE FOR COMMUNITY PROGRAMMING

FCRC and SHoP Architects Release New Design Images of Plaza and Barclays Center

Forest City Ratner Companies, the developer of Atlantic Yards in Brooklyn, and SHoP Architects today released the new design for the Plaza at the Barclays Center at the intersection of Flatbush and Atlantic Avenues.

The Plaza, which will serve as the primary entryway to the arena, integrates a new transit entrance with environmentally conscious landscaping, intimate seating areas and flexible open space that can be used for community programming and arena events. The Plaza will be sponsored by ADT, one of the founding partners of the Barclays Center.

image © SHoP Architects

“The Plaza at the Barclays Center will quickly become one of Brooklyn’s great public spaces,” said Bruce Ratner, Chairman and CEO of Forest City Ratner Companies. “The Plaza will create a new destination while also allowing for a smooth flow of pedestrian traffic to and from the arena as well as to the many subway lines at the Atlantic Avenue subway station. The unique transit entrance, along with the Sedum room and plantings and distinctive pavement that will create the experience of diverse walkways, will establish the Plaza as an iconic part of the larger Brooklyn landscape.”

The Plaza is 38,885 square feet, 74 percent open space and 26 percent soft landscape and seating, primarily around the transit entrance that will serve as the centerpiece of the Plaza. As part of the design preparation for the plaza area, SHoP Architects conducted significant research of public space designs around the world to incorporate best practices related to movement, lighting, and sustainability.

“The remarkable pedestrian pocket created by the intersection of Atlantic and Flatbush Avenues is a natural transit way,” SHoP’s Gregg Pasquarelli said. “The Sedum roof transit entrance, along with the Sedum planters, will signify the importance of mass transit to this area of Brooklyn as well as to the entire City. The use of greenery will also allow for a changing, seasonal look in terms of color and an element of natural warmth in an otherwise very urban setting.”

In designing the Plaza, SHoP looked at multiple uses of the plaza, including local, commuter and fan traffic and then analyzed how these pedestrian communities interacted under different use scenarios. In addition, the architects had to incorporate into the design security and safety issues, including weight load restrictions for the area over the subway station.

“It is the diversity of movement and use that gives a public space a unique feel,” Pasquarelli said. “We wanted to capture that movement in our design features and also enhance that movement and the experience of the space by using materials that seem natural to the different parts of the plaza.”

Mr. Pasquarelli explained as well that the design features for the space offer exciting possibilities when B1, the office building slated for the tip, along with the building’s open urban room, is introduced sometime in the future.

The roof of the transit entrance, along with two-semi rings of planters that wrap around the entrance, will be planted with Sedum, a large genus of flowering plants that are known as stonecrops. The plants, which are indigenous to the northern hemisphere, will create a living, wave like ambiance and provide seasonal colors. The planters closest to the transit entrance will also include curved, Ipe seat benches. The planters, along with other benches at the periphery of the plaza, will be reinforced for security and traffic safety.

The architects designed as well three different types of pavement treatment to reflect the different use areas along the plaza: sidewalk space, a random mix of concrete pavements, and a concrete carpet that will run from the transit entrance to the arena.

In-ground lighting will also illuminate sections of the plaza, providing additional directional assistance as well as creating distinctive areas within the plaza. The Barclays Center Oculus, which will extend over a 5,660 square foot section of the plaza closest to the arena, is 117 feet by 56 feet and 36 feet from the top of the plaza paving. The Oculus will also contain a state-of-the-art display screen that can be programmed for games, events and other activities on the plaza.

“We of course want the Plaza to function well as a gateway to the Barclays Center,” Mr. Ratner said. “But it was also designed much like a park so it can be programmed for community events and diverse activities, such as a greenmarket and holiday fairs.”

SHoP architects will also present the design review at a public meeting on September 29, 2010 from 6 to 8 pm at Brooklyn Borough Hall in the Court Room.

Mar 11, 2010

Barclays Center Groundbreaking at Atlantic Yards

Ceremonial Groundbreaking to Celebrate the Next Phase of Construction
On Atlantic Yards and Sports and Entertainment Arena in Brooklyn

(BROOKLYN, NY) – March 10, 2010 – Governor David Paterson, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, Forest City Ratner Companies Chairman and CEO Bruce Ratner, Barclays PLC President Robert E. Diamond, Jr., NETS investor and cultural icon Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter, and Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment President and CEO Brett Yormark, among others, will be on hand for the groundbreaking ceremony of the Barclays Center at Atlantic Yards on Thursday, March 11, 2010 at 5th and Atlantic Avenues in Brooklyn.

While work has been ongoing at the site since last fall, and with the temporary rail yard completed last December, the March 11 groundbreaking ceremony will mark the next phase of construction on the 18,000-seat world-class sports and entertainment arena. The Barclays Center Atlantic Yards will host more than 200 events annually, including professional and collegiate sports, concerts, family shows, NETS Basketball, and much more. The first phase of Atlantic Yards will also include three residential buildings, with design on the first starting later this year.

Atlantic Yards – Project Information

” The Project. Atlantic Yards is the redevelopment of 22 acres in downtown Brooklyn by Forest City Ratner Companies (FCRC) that will include approximately 6 million square feet of residential space (6,430 units of affordable and market-rate housing), a state-of-the-art sports and entertainment arena, 247,000 square feet of retail use, approximately 336,000 square feet of office space and 8 acres of publicly accessible open space. The project plan permits a program variation which could allow for up to 1.6 million square feet of office space.

The project also includes major transportation improvements, including a new storage and maintenance facility for the LIRR and a new subway entrance to the Atlantic Terminal Transit Hub, the third largest hub in the City. The project’s Master Plan was designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry.

o Phase I. The first phase of the project, as per the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), includes the arena and five other buildings, most of which will be residential with market-rate and affordable housing. Phase I is anticipated to include an office building and could include a hotel. Construction on the first residential building will begin in Spring of 2011, with construction of a new residential building beginning every 6 to 9 months thereafter.

o Phase II. The second phase of the project, as per the FEIS, includes 11 residential buildings, 8 acres of open space and neighborhood retail.

” Master Closing. On December 23, 2009 Forest City Ratner Companies, the Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC), the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), the City of New York, and other parties executed all necessary documents and officially closed on the project.

” The Nets. In 2004 Forest City Ratner Companies led an investment team that successfully bid for the New Jersey Nets. On December 16, 2009, FCRC finalized an agreement to sell 80 percent of the Nets and 45 percent of the arena to Mikhail Prokhorov’s Onexim, subject to approval by the NBA Board of Governors. The goal is to have the Nets playing in Brooklyn in 2012.

” The Barclays Center. In January of 2007, Barclays, a leading global financial services company, FCRC and the Nets, announced a multi-faceted strategic marketing partnership that includes the 20-year naming rights to the sports and entertainment arena at Atlantic Yards, the Barclays Center. The Barclays Center, designed by the award-winning architectural firms Ellerbe Becket and SHoP Architects, will seat 18,000 for basketball and 19,000 for concerts.

” The Location. The development will be located at Atlantic and Flatbush Avenues, bounded by 4th Avenue, Pacific and Dean Streets and Vanderbilt Avenue, primarily situated over the MTA/LIRR’s Vanderbilt Yards. Atlantic Yards will be adjacent to New York’s third largest subway hub with 10 subway lines and the LIRR, providing easy access from all five boroughs and Long Island.

” Project Size. The Atlantic Yards project will include an arena and 16 new buildings to be utilized for residential, office and retail purposes. The height of the buildings will range from approximately 190 feet to 511 feet. The residential building street walls located on Dean Street between Vanderbilt and Carlton Avenues will range between 50 and 90 feet (or five to nine stories), with setbacks to the north of at least 60 to 70 feet. Building 1, the building that will be built at the corner of Flatbush and Atlantic Avenues, is anticipated to be no taller than the Williamsburg Savings Bank which stands at 512 feet. There will be approximately 400 units in the first residential building, Tower 2, approximately 350 units in Tower 3, and approximately 900 units in Tower 4. At least 30% of these units will be set aside for low-, moderate- and middle-income families.

” Economic Benefits. Atlantic Yards will be an economic engine for Brooklyn, New York City and the State generating more than $5 billion in new tax revenues over the next 30 years. In addition to tax benefits, the project will also create thousands of new jobs: upwards of 17,000 union construction jobs and up to 8,000 permanent jobs.

” Affordable Housing. Of the 6,430 units of housing, 4,500 are anticipated to be rental apartments and the rest are expected be market rate condos. Working with New York Communities for Change (NYCC) (formerly known as ACORN), FCRC has committed to an affordable housing model that sets aside 2,250 rental units for a combination of low-, moderate- and middle-income families.

In addition, 10% of the rental units will be for senior citizens. In addition to the 2,250 affordable and middle-income rental units, Forest City Ratner has agreed with NYCC to build between 600-1,000 affordable homeownership units. FCRC will seek to build at least 200 of these affordable home-owner units on site (they will be part of the proposed 6,430 units of housing already approved as part of the Atlantic Yards FEIS/MGPP). FCRC will also seek to build the remaining affordable home-owner units as close to Atlantic Yards as possible.

” Community Benefits Agreement (CBA). FCRC entered into a historic and unprecedented Community Benefits Agreement, the first of its kind in New York, on June 27, 2005. This voluntary and legally binding agreement with the community focuses on delivering job training, jobs, affordable housing, small business and MWBE development and other community amenities and facilities for community residents.

For example, FCRC has agreed to continue its longstanding commitment to minority and women owned businesses, by ensuring that at least 30% of contracts and 45% of all construction jobs are to be held by women and minorities. FCRC will also provide for the development of a school, a day care, youth and senior facility, as well as a health care facility to provide health care services not available in the local community. And as noted above, FCRC has agreed to work with NYCC to develop an unprecedented housing plan for low-income and working families.

” Community Involvement. FCRC continues to work with a wide array of diverse community based organizations, ministers and churches across the borough. Our CBA partners include: NYCC, Brooklyn United for Innovative Local Development (BUILD), the Faith In Action (FIA), the Downtown Brooklyn Neighborhood Alliance (DBNA), the New York State Association of Minority Contractors (NYSAMC), Public Housing Communities (PHC), the Brooklyn Voices for Children (BVC) and the Brooklyn Endeavor Experience (BEE).

” Eminent Domain. While much of the 22 acre project site is made up of an LIRR storage facility, the remainder is comprised of empty lots, gas stations, auto repair shops, underutilized or vacant industrial and manufacturing buildings and some residential buildings. In 2005, FCRC promised to substantially reduce the need for eminent domain and has lived up to that promise by acquiring much of the property needed to complete the project and acquired ownership or control of 85% of the land needed to complete the project. FCRC proposed a supplementary tenant relocation program for residents who had been living on the Site for over a year when the project was announced in which tenants on site would be offered a residence to stay in during construction and a unit in the new development at the same rent they pay today. Title was vested with the State on March 1, 2010.

” Sustainability. Atlantic Yards is committed to achieving LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification for all 16 buildings and the Arena. Now that construction has begun, environmental quality-of-life measures are in place, including use of Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel, diesel particulate filters installed on on-site equipment with 50 hp or greater, best available and most efficient equipment, dust suppression, restrictions on idle time for vehicles and the use of locally manufactured materials when possible is underway.

Demolition and construction waste is another priority, and of the buildings that have been demolished so far, at least 75% of the materials have been recycled (with a building high of 97%), thereby diverting 467 tons of materials from landfills.

The project will promote the use of bicycles by providing a 400 bicycle storage station for use by residents and local commuters. Storm-water management is a significant part of this plan; once completed, Atlantic Yards will reduce the volume of combined sewer overflow that currently flows into the Gowanus Canal by more than 2 million gallons per year by retaining rainwater and reusing it. Atlantic Yards’ plan calls for a $50 million clean up of the existing environmentally damaged site and transforming it into 8 acres of open public space, environmentally sustainable buildings, while reducing sewage overflows and creating a LEED certified sports arena.

” Construction on the Site. Construction work on Atlantic Yards began in February of 2007. We expect the Barclays Center to open in the spring of 2012.
o Hunt Construction Group was awarded the design build contract for the Barclays Center.

o To date 35 buildings, roughly 56% of the structures on the site have been demolished. There are 11 vacant lots and 29 other remaining structures. FCRC owns or controls approximately 85% of the site.

o Over $51 million worth of contracts have already been awarded to contractors for work on the site thus far.

o Currently approximately 80% of the total prime contracts awarded to date have gone to M/WBE firms and over 49% of the total contract dollars to M/WBE firms. The total of purchases reported to date is over $51.7 million. The MBE award total is over $21.7 million (approx. 42% of total purchases).The WBE award total is over $3.5 million (approx. 7%) which brings the total M/WBE participation thus far to over $25 million.

Additionally, 43% of the 68 contracts awarded to MWBE firms have gone to Brooklyn based firms.

o Construction of the temporary rail yard is substantially complete, and punch list items are being completed. Critical upgrades to the sewer and water infrastructure in the area are underway.

” Local Street Closures. In order to facilitate construction on Atlantic Yards certain streets in the projects footprint have been closed.
The following describes the street closures and traffic pattern changes that were implemented on March 8, 2010:
o Permanent street closures
” Fifth Avenue (between Flatbush and Atlantic Avenues)
” Pacific Street (between Fifth and Sixth Avenues)
” Pacific Street (between Vanderbilt and Carlton Avenues)
o Traffic pattern changes
” Northbound traffic on Fifth Avenue can use Flatbush Avenue or Sixth Avenue to continue north; southbound traffic can use Sixth Avenue.
” Eastbound traffic on Pacific Street can use Dean Street; westbound traffic can use Bergen Street.
” To facilitate vehicle circulation, Sixth Avenue (between Flatbush Avenue and Pacific Street) will become two-way and the block of Pacific Street (between Carlton and Sixth Avenues) will become one-way westbound.
” These changes necessitate the removal of the Cobble Hill-bound B63 bus stop on Fifth Avenue, between Pacific Street and Atlantic Avenue. Passengers can use existing bus stops on Fifth Avenue (at Bergen Street) and on Atlantic Avenue (at Fourth Avenue).
o Local and emergency vehicle access will be maintained as needed.
o Detour signs will be posted during the work.
o Traffic agents will be assigned to facilitate the flow of traffic and pedestrians.

In January 2007, Barclays, a leading global financial services company, and the NETS announced a multi-faceted strategic marketing and media partnership that includes a 20-year naming rights of the arena.

New York Building News

Barclays Center New York information received 110310

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