Posts tagged ‘Atlantic Yards’

Apple Taps Atlantic Yards for Store Locale

By , 13 January, 2011, 2 Comments

Oy, really Apple? We gave you a gorgeous locale to open a Brooklyn store–the iconic municipal building at 210 Joralemon Street which will be transformed into retail space this year. And what do you do? Head straight for Ratner’s Atlantic Yards. That’s right, according to The Commercial Observer,

Since last month, the Cupertino, Calif.-based company has been informally chatting with potential landlords, including Atlantic Yards developer Forest City Ratner, about leasing options in the area, a source with ties to Forest City Ratner told The Commercial Observer on Wednesday.
“They’ve been very gun shy, the Apple people,” said the source, who refused to be identified because the person was not given clearance to speak publicly. “They’re focusing on the arena area right now, but there’s no space. But it’s the only place in Brooklyn that’s super visible, close to trains and about as close as you can get to a 24-hour community in the borough.”

Let’s hope Steve Jobs has enough sense to come survey the hood before any rash decisions are made.

$3 Million? When Do You Want Us Out?

By , 22 April, 2010, 1 Comment

The Atlantic Yards episode — a chapter of it, at least — has come to an end, but with a bizarre postscript. The last man to be evicted, Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn‘s David Goldstein, took a $3 million payment to leave his home. The fight was over, he had already been evicted and was to move out next month anyway. But as symbols of defeat go, this one is pretty heavy. As something of a figurehead, is he honor bound to refuse extra cash? Are we all so worn down by the real estate game and the high cost of living in New York that honor is a quaint notion? As the New York author puts it, “There are few things we wouldn’t do for $3 million (seriously, it’s kind of scary).”

Or could it be that bleeding Ratner of some extra (relatively) small change is Goldstein’s final act of rebellion, a final thumbed nose at the conquerors?

Barclays Center Interior Revealed

By , 9 March, 2010, 2 Comments

Love it or hate it, the Atlantic Yards project is pushing ahead, with official groundbreaking on Thursday. The main event, however, is going to be the brand new Barclays Center, which will be the home of Brooklyn’s very own basketball team (now the NJ Nets). Here’s a little rendering in case you were curious what it’s going to look like. According to the NY Post , the arena

will hold 18,000 seats for Nets games — including 9,500 on the lower level — and up to 19,000 for concerts. Although seat prices aren’t set, 11 of the arena’s 104 luxury suites run $540,000 a year — Nets part owner Jay-Z already bought one — and the rest cost an average of $264,550. Designed by the team of Ellerbe Becket and SHoP Architects, the sleek glass-and-steel, clamshell-like arena is about 200,000 square feet smaller than the original design by starchitect Frank Gehry, who was fired last year to cut costs.

Expect plenty of restaurants and a whopping six clubs inside the arena which will also play host to concerts. I know there’s been plenty of controversy around this behemoth development project, but I am not well versed enough to take a particular stand on it one way or the other. Please feel free to comment and let us know your thoughts.