NEW YORK | Pacific Park Brooklyn (Atlantic Yards) | 15+ Towers

[NYguy]

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/..._protests.html

Atlantic Yards ground-breaking event marked by politicians, pop star and protests



Ready to dig in are Forest City Ratner CEO Bruce Ratner, Mayor Bloomberg, Gov. Paterson,
Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, Jay-Z and Barclays president Robert R. Diamond

BY Erin Durkin and Bill Hutchinson
March 11th 2010

Pomp overshadowed protest Thursday as ground was broken on the future home of Nets - the centerpiece of the controversial Atlantic Yards project.

Marching bands and speeches from politicians and dignitaries drowned out demonstrators ringing what is to be called the Barclays Center, for the bank that bought the naming rights to the 18,000-seat sports arena.

"I can't believe I'm standing here today," said developer Bruce Ratner, whose six-year battle to build the project has been buffeted by the economic recession and resistance from businesses and Brooklynites being displaced.

"Today is a great day for Brooklyn," Ratner said.

A large white tent was erected on the site where Atlantic Ave. intersects with Flatbush Ave. to accommodate hundreds of supporters, who enjoy smoked salmon hors d'oeuvres - and Junior's Cheesecake.

"This really is such a huge win for the Nets. It's just a shame it doesn't count in the standings," Mayor Bloomberg told the crowd.

Organizers prepared 70 silver shovels for the event.

Bloomberg was joined by Ratner, Gov. Paterson, Barclays Bank President Robert Diamond, Borough President Marty Markowitz, Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Rev. Al Sharpton and rapper and Nets co-owner Jay-Z in breaking ground.

A protest outside the site drew about 200 foes of the project, who countered that the construction will doom Brooklyn.

"I hearby proclaim March 11, 2010, the destruction of Brooklyn's soul day," said a protester wearing a Markowitz mask.

One protester was arrested for disobeying a police order to stop pounding a drum.

Demonstrators briefly blocked traffic on Atlantic Ave. until cops dispersed them.

The new arena, set to open in 2012, is part of the $4.9 billion Atlantic Yards Project, which includes 16 residential and commercial towers.

________________________________________

http://www.observer.com/2010/real-es...-breaks-ground
Atlantic Yards and the Great Recession Groundbreaking



By Eliot Brown
March 11, 2010

There was an odd feel to Thursday afternoon's Atlantic Yards groundbreaking—one that felt almost as though it wasn't 2010, but rather, say, 2007, when the economy was vibrant and projects were popping up around the city.

A giant white party tent at the site of the Nets basketball arena-to-be in Prospect Heights quickly became filled with business leaders, lawyers, Nets investors and a celebrity or two, as a brigade of caterers passed around gourmet munchies—mini-burgers; cheesecake—squeezing in between an army of suits holding napkins that carried the new Barclays Center insignia. One after another, officials and executives key to the project—Mayor Bloomberg, Governor Paterson, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz—took to the lectern to address the tent, proclaiming just how pleased they were that the project was happening.

This is a very un-recession-like concept.

Big projects, particularly those that are built on what the developer says are slim margins, are not supposed to happen in economic downturns. Yet here we were, with ground-breaking on just one component of the $4.9 billion project—the component that was considered to be the least profitable of the project.

[NYguy]

It's interesing when you think about the cycle of life for arenas and stadiums in the city. Even as Yankee Stadium comes down in the Bronx, a new legacy begins in Brooklyn.


• Video Link

[NYguy]

http://brooklynpaper.com/stories/33/...eak_video.html

• Video Link

[prospekt]

You've got to love Marty, either his hat fell off or he refused to wear it!


curbed.com

[NYguy]

If you look at that last Brooklyn Papers video, you can see just how shiny those shovels were.


http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article...TATE/100319973

Affordable housing deal at Atlantic Yards
Half of first residential tower designated; with new arena for Nets underway, developer talks to star architect about designing more buildings on site.

By James Comtois
March 11, 2010

Thursday's long-awaited groundbreaking ceremony for the Barclays Arena at the edge of downtown Brooklyn came with some surprises.

At the ceremony at the site of the vast Atlantic Yards development, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that the city has secured a commitment from project developer Forest City Ratner to ensure that at least 50% of the units in the first residential tower to be built will be affordable to a mix of low-, moderate- and middle-income families.

The developer hopes to begin construction on the first residential tower in the spring of next year and the second six to nine months later. Forest City expects work to start on the third tower six to nine months after that.

In another development, although Forest City has yet to officially name a replacement for ousted star architect Frank Gehry, the company is currently in talks with David Childs to design several buildings on the site. Mr. Childs, the consulting design partner at Skidmore Owings & Merrill, served as the head designer for the Freedom Tower, now known as 1 World Trade Center. He also designed 7 World Trade Center and the Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle.

[FerrariEnzo]

Saw this on ESPN, the quote in bold is hilarious, apparently this wench doesn't have internet access to view renderings and models.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4987078

NEW YORK -- Officials broke ground Thursday on a much-delayed 22-acre development project that will bring the NBA's New Jersey Nets to Brooklyn.

As protesters chanted and staged a mock funeral for the "soul" of Brooklyn, supporters enjoyed a lavish spread catered by developer Bruce Ratner.

...

"What they're going to build is a money-losing arena, maybe one or two towers and acres and acres of parking," said Daniel Goldstein, founder of the group Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn.

His wife, Shabnam Merchant, stood Thursday in front of their home, which has been seized by the state to make way for the project, although they have yet to leave. She held her 16-month-old daughter and a sign that said: "You're celebrating? We live here."

...

[prospekt]

^if those acres of parking (I'm assuming they mean above ground) come to fruition, they will only have their own selves to blame for litigating the crap out of this project for nearly a decade and killing the original program which was far more dense and public transit oriented than this one.

You can't systematically gut a project and then stand in the pool of offal and cry foul, it makes no sense.

[prospekt]

BTW- Mr. Goldstein and his wife Ms. Merchant are the sole remaining tenants of an 8 floor condo building at 636 Pacific St. All the other tenants long ago accepted a generous buyout. They bought the condo in 2003.

I would hardly call that "losing a home".

[JDRCRASH]

Looks like we're gonna have "Brooklyn Nets".

[ardecila]

^^ Win. I seriously hope they change the name... it'll be the first serious franchise named for Brooklyn since the Dodgers left.

Wow, Jigga is easily the best-dressed guy there.

[FerrariEnzo]

R.O. R.O.C. Jigga

[a chicago bearcat]

I really hope they don't go from Gehry to Childs. Opposing but equally un pedestrian friendly sides of the starchitect spectrum. Mix it up bring in two or three firms, ones that have shown an ability to create city fabric, not just object buildings.

[FerrariEnzo]

He is only doing one tower of the many.

[NYguy]

Ratner was right to bring in Childs. He brings an air of "legitimacy" to the development that the NIMBYs have been using against Gehry's designs. I like the project when Gehry was doing the whole thing, but if can work the way they are doing it now, piece by piece. It'll probably be 15 to 20 years before the entire development is complete.

Originally Posted by NYguy

http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories...ll+articles%29

Childs’ play: Bruce may be bringing in top architects to work on Yards

By Gersh Kuntzman
March 10, 2010

Legendary architect David Childs — the Skidmore, Owings and Merrill emeritus who was the lead designer of the so-called Freedom Tower at the World Trade Center site — told The Brooklyn Paper that he met with Ratner earlier in the year to give the developer’s arena plans a “once over.”

And beyond that, Ratner and Childs discussed having the esteemed designer work on one of the 16 proposed residential buildings that form the bulk of the mega-project.

“First, he brought me in to look at the arena design, which I think is very good now,” Childs said, referring to the current design collaboration between Ellerbe Becket and SHoP Architects.

“And then we talked about working together on the residential buildings,” added Childs, who was celebrating the opening of his firm’s signature Brooklyn building, the 38-story Toren tower on Flatbush Avenue.

“Bruce wants to bring in different architects, good architects, to do each of the residential buildings,” Childs said. “That’s something I’d be very excited about. Talking to Bruce, it’s clear that he wants to do this right. He really does.”

Forest City Ratner Executive Vice President MaryAnne Gilmartin said that the developer and Childs talked about working together in some capacity at Atlantic Yards, but said it was “premature” to speculate on the identities of other Hall of Fame-quality draftsmen who might also be brought in to work on the first residential buildings.

[FerrariEnzo]

Exactly why in the 250 E. 57th street thread I mentioned that Bruce Ratner should be thanked... the guy gets it. This development will be a collage of interesting and differing architecture that will help shift the mind-set of "what is brooklyn?" and how should Brooklyn be developed in the future? These types of large, well done, spared no expense projects are essential to changing peoples minds and in addition creates an expectation of great architecture. Imagine one day in the not so distant future where community boards saying something like this, "well developer xyz I see you have experience and financing lined up but we will not grant you the height specs you have requested until we see marked progress in the design department, with such height and prominence in the skyline we demand better..."

[evanmack]

I live in Brooklyn, and frankly I am all for it. Except the fact that the stadium is not very attractive.

[NYguy]

I think it's not bad. It grew on me.

Originally Posted by NYguy

threecee

[NYguy]

http://www.1010wins.com/pages/655371...=1740089#imgXR



Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz jokes onstage with rapper and Nets Investor Shawn "Jay-Z"Carter at the ceremonial groundbreaking for Barclays Center at Atlantic Yards


New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, New York State Governer David Paterson and Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz,








Protesters wearing large masks of New York politicians and developers prepare to put on a skit critical of the controversial Atlantic Yards project


Shovels are placed against a concrete barrier before a ground breaking ceremony

[NYC4Life]

Still looks like an airport terminal, like the former TWA terminal at JFK.

[NYC2ATX]

Originally Posted by NYguy

Ratner was right to bring in Childs. He brings an air of "legitimacy" to the development that the NIMBYs have been using against Gehry's designs. I like the project when Gehry was doing the whole thing, but if can work the way they are doing it now, piece by piece. It'll probably be 15 to 20 years before the entire development is complete.

I'm glad for the fact that one architect is going to be designing multiple buildings, and it will not be a hodge-podge of different styles. I feel like that only works in certain instances. For example, such a method was OK for City Center in Vegas because, well, it IS Vegas, after all. Also, for the WTC it is allowable because it seems as another slice of skyscrapers in an already dense and highly mixed skyline.

Here, though, a shocking mix of styles would be overwhelming for Manhattan's mellower little brother ...and look at Rockefeller Center. One of the most renowned and successful public spaces in the city (and the world), and a hallmark of the complex is it's nearly completely cohesive design.