Barclays Center
| Barclays Center | |
|---|---|
 | |
 The western entrance of Barclays Center, taken from the corner of Atlantic Avenue and Flatbush Avenue. | |
| Location |
620 Atlantic Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11217 United States |
| Coordinates | 40°40′57.54″N 73°58′28.88″W / 40.6826500°N 73.9746889°W |
| Broke ground | March 11, 2010[2] |
| Opened | September 21, 2012 |
| Owner |
Forest City Enterprises (majority) ONEXIM Sports & Entertainment (minority) |
| Operator | AEG Facilities |
| Construction cost |
$ 1 billion[3] ($1.02 billion in 2014 dollars[ 1]) |
| Architect |
AECOM (Ellerbe Becket) SHoP Architects |
| Project manager | Forest City Ratner Companies |
| Structural engineer | Thornton Tomasetti |
| Services engineer | WSP Flack + Kurtz |
| General contractor | Hunt Construction Group[4] |
| Capacity |
Basketball: 17,732 Ice hockey: 15,813 Concert: 19,000[3] |
| Website | Official website |
| Public transit access |
Atlantic Terminal Atlantic Avenue – Barclays Center |
| Tenants | |
|
Brooklyn Nets (NBA) (2012-present) New York Islanders (NHL) (2015-beyond) | |
Barclays Center is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Brooklyn, New York. It sits partly on a platform over the Metropolitan Transportation Authority–owned Vanderbilt Yards rail yard at Atlantic Avenue. It is part of a $4.9 billion sports arena, and future business and residential complex known as the Atlantic Yards.[5]
The arena hosts the National Basketball Association’s Brooklyn Nets,[6] along with concerts, conventions and other sporting events, competing with other facilities in the New York metropolitan area, including Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, Prudential Center in Newark, and Izod Center in East Rutherford. Beginning in 2015, it will also be the home of the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League.[7]
Initially proposed in 2004 when real estate developer Bruce Ratner purchased the Nets as the first step of the process to build a new home for the team,[8] the development of the arena experienced significant hurdles along the way. The use of eminent domain stirred up community resistance, especially as residential buildings and businesses such as the Ward Bakery had to be demolished, and led to multiple lawsuits. The global recession of 2009 also caused financing for the project to dry up. As a result, the start of construction was delayed for many years and at times in danger of not happening at all. Groundbreaking for construction occurred on March 11, 2010, and the arena was opened to the public on September 21, 2012. It held its first event with a Jay-Z concert on September 28, 2012.[2][9]
History
Barclays Center was conceived by Bruce Ratner of real estate developer Forest City Ratner Companies, the New York office of Forest City Enterprises, who acquired the New Jersey Nets basketball team in 2004 (he has since sold most of his shares to continue funding the project) with the purpose of moving them to the neighborhood of Prospect Heights in Brooklyn and have them play in the arena that would be the centerpiece of his Atlantic Yards commercial and residential development project.[8] The site is located adjacent to the newly renamed Atlantic Avenue – Barclays Center subway station (2 3 4 5 B D N Q R trains) and the Long Island Rail Road’s Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn. The move marked the return of major league sports to Brooklyn, which has been absent since the departure of the Dodgers to Los Angeles in 1957. Coincidentally, the original proposal for a domed stadium for the Brooklyn Dodgers was just north of the Atlantic Yards site, where the Atlantic Terminal Mall, also owned by Forest City Ratner Companies, is currently located.
Barclays Center was initially projected to open in 2006, with the rest of the Atlantic Yards complex to follow. However, controversies involving local residents, the use of eminent domain, a lack of financing, as well as a major economic downturn delayed the project.[10] Due to these legal and financial troubles, the development deal seemed headed towards failure or collapse,[11] and Ratner at one point explored selling the team.[12] The New York Supreme Court ruled in favor of Ratner on May 16, 2009. Opponents appealed the court decision. A hearing for the appeal was scheduled for October 14, 2009, with a decision to be issued no sooner than November 25.[13]
On September 23, 2009, Russian businessman Mikhail Prokhorov agreed to a $200 million deal to become a principal owner of the Nets and a key investor in the Brooklyn arena.[citation needed]
In October 2009, the Nets played two preseason games at the Prudential Center.[14] The two preseason games were successful, and a deal that would have the Nets play at the Prudential Center for the 2010–11 and 2011–12 NBA seasons became more likely. Negotiations nearly fell apart, when the New Jersey Sports and Exhibition Authority refused to release the Nets from their lease at Izod.[15] Negotiations resumed, and on February 18, 2010, the Nets finalized a deal that would move them to the Prudential Center in Newark, until Barclays Center opened.
On November 24, 2009, the New York Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the state using eminent domain for the project. Empire State Development Corporation Vice President Warner Johnston indicated that the agency is committed to seeing the project completed and said "we can now move forward with development."[16]
Another potential roadblock to this development resulted from the Appellate Court's negative decision regarding a similar eminent domain case, brought against Columbia University.[17] This landmark case could have given new life to the case being brought by the community group Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn (DDDB).
However, on March 1, 2010, Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Abraham Gerges struck down a challenge by property owners, regarding the state's use of eminent domain, which allowed the private property to be condemned. Groundbreaking for the project occurred on March 11, 2010.[2]
On June 29, 2010, the first concrete was poured into Barclays Center's foundation.[18] The arena began vertical construction on November 23, 2010, with the erection of the first steel piece.[19] The arena topped out on January 12, 2012, and was opened to the public on September 21, 2012.
On October 24, 2012, the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL) announced that the franchise will be moving to the Barclays Center in 2015, following the expiration of their lease of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, which the team has called home since its inception in 1972. The deal didn't require the involvement of the New York Rangers, as the Islanders' agreement with the Rangers allows them to relocate anywhere on Long Island, including Brooklyn and Queens.[20] Whereas the original design of the arena would have featured an ice hockey configuration with capacity typical of the arenas used in the NHL, the final design for Barclays Center is mainly for basketball use. It can nevertheless accommodate an NHL-size rink, and a seating capacity of 15,813, which would make the arena the second smallest of the league. The scoreboard is off-centered above the rink and the seating arrangement is asymmetrical due to the small size of the bowl.[21] As a result of the signing of the lease, the two KHL games that were scheduled to be played in the arena on January 20 and 21, 2013 between Dynamo Moscow and SKA St. Petersburg were moved back to their teams' home venues. As part of the deal, the management of the Barclays Center will take over running the business side of the team once the Islanders move to the Barclays Center, though Charles Wang will remain owner and run the sports side of the team.[22]
According to Billboard Magazine, Barclays Center passed Madison Square Garden as the highest-grossing venue in the United States for concerts and family shows, not counting sports tickets. The sales were based between November 1, 2012, and May 31, 2013.[23]
Design
Barclays Center is designed by the architect firm SHoP Architects. Ellerbe Becket/AECOM served as the project Architect of Record.
Initial concepts for the area were designed by Frank Gehry, whose design proposed a rooftop park (open only to residents of the Atlantic Yards complex) ringed by an open-air running track and capable of doubling as an ice skating rink in winter with panoramic, year-round views of Manhattan. The rooftop park and Gehry's plan carried a projected cost of $1 billion and were replaced in September 2009 by the Becket/SHoP proposal with a projected cost (initially) of $800 million (ultimately itself revised to $1 billion).[3]
Externally, the arena's shape features three articulated bands with features a glass curtain wall covered by a "latticework" composed of 12,000 preweathered steel panels[24] meant to evoke the image of Brooklyn's brownstones.[25] A 117-by-56-foot (36 by 17 m) oculus extends over a 5,660-square-foot (526 m2) section of the plaza outside of the main arena entrance with an irregularly-shaped display screen looping the interior face of the oculus.[26] The arena floor's location below grade allows scoreboard viewing from the plaza.[26]
Unlike most United States urban venues, Barclays Center has no dedicated parking, but can be reached via eleven subway lines along with the Long Island Rail Road and eleven bus lines.[27] To accommodate entry to the facility, the arena's 38,885-square-foot (3,613 m2) entrance plaza features a $76 million transit connection hub[28] that serves as the plaza's focal point. The transit structure connects with the new Barclays Center subway station, designed by New York City firm Stantec.
Naming rights
On January 18, 2007, it was announced that the arena would be called Barclays Center, after London-based banking group Barclays. It was reported that banking and financial services company agreed to pay the team $400 million over the next 20 years for the naming rights of their Brooklyn home,[29] eclipsing the previous record for naming rights to an American indoor arena, set by Royal Philips Electronics in 1999, for $185 million over 20 years for Philips Arena in Atlanta. However, the rights were renegotiated by the end of 2009, and are somewhat more than $200 million.[30][31] Barclays does not have any retail banks in the US and will not have its own ATMs in the arena.[32]
Notable firsts and significant events
The first NBA basketball game played at the new arena was an NBA preseason game between the Nets and the Washington Wizards on October 15, 2012.[33]
The first regular season NBA game at the Barclays Center took place on November 3, 2012, when the Nets beat the visiting Toronto Raptors 107–100. The originally scheduled season opener home game was supposed to take place on November 1 against now-cross town rivals the New York Knicks, in what was planned to be a historic event; however, the game was canceled by NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg due to mass transportation outages and a shortage of available police caused by Hurricane Sandy. Bloomberg was quoted as saying:
We’re sorry about the game ... but our police have other things to do. Lots of fans are going to be disappointed, the fans are disappointed, you should know the fans wanted to play, but I did talk to the NBA and recommended, asked them to cancel the game, it’s all up to me.[34]
The Atlantic 10 Conference has announced that Barclays Center will be the new home of the conference's men's basketball tournament beginning in 2013.[35]
WWE held their annual TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs (2012) pay per view at the venue on December 16, 2012. It was the first WWE event held at the arena. WWE held WWE RAW in the arena on July 15, 2013 for the first time ever.
The first NBA playoff game at the Barclays Center took place on April 20, 2013, when the Nets beat the visiting Chicago Bulls 106–89.
The Polytechnic Institute of NYU held the first graduation ceremony at Barclays Center on May 23, 2013.
Nearby Brooklyn Technical High School held their first graduation ceremony at Barclays Center on June 21, 2013.
The center hosted the 2013 NBA Draft on June 27, 2013.[36]
The center hosted the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards on August 25, 2013, bringing the show to a New York City borough other than Manhattan for the first time.[37]
The Islanders played the first NHL hockey game at Barclays Center in a preseason game on September 21, 2013, losing to the New Jersey Devils 3-0 in front of a crowd of 14,689. The first goal to be scored in the arena's history was scored by Jacob Josefson of the New Jersey Devils. An Islanders game was scheduled for the previous preseason but was cancelled due to the 2012–13 NHL lockout.
Legal actions
The Barclays Center has been accused of mistreating luxury box holders who are African-American. Three employees of Ludwig’s Pharmacy in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn claimed in a lawsuit, filed in October 2013, that they were singled out for bad treatment at the stadium just because they are black. They are suing for $4 million.[38]
Labor issues
A group of 120 part-time construction workers who work to convert the arena from concert hall to sports venue unsuccessfully tried to switch unions in February 2013. Although the pay for part-time work is comparable to that of Madison Square Garden, workers have complained about not being able to make a living on one day a month work at $14/hour, and being barred from collecting unemployment.[39]
Concerts
College Basketball
Since opening, the Barclays Center has hosted multiple college basketball events. Kentucky and Maryland signed multi-year agreements to play games at the arena after competing head-to-head in 2012.[40] The arena currently hosts three early-season basketball tournaments:
The arena also has multiple single day double or tripleheaders. In 2013, these include:
- Big Apple Classic (December 15)
- Brooklyn Hoops Holiday Invitational (December 21)
- Brooklyn Hoops Winter Festival (December 28)
References
- ↑ "Barclay’s Center". Archived from the original on July 7, 2011. Retrieved June 11, 2011.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Durkin, Erin; Hutchinson, Bill (March 11, 2010). "Atlantic Yards Ground-Breaking Event Marked By Politicians, Pop Star and Protests". Daily News (New York). Archived from the original on March 14, 2010. Retrieved March 11, 2011.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "The NBA Comes to Brooklyn". Construction Digital. August 1, 2011. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
- ↑ "Hunt awarded construction contract for the Barclays Center". huntconstructiongroup.com. November 26, 2009. Retrieved April 29, 2012.
- ↑ "About Atlantic Yards". Empire State Development Corporation.
- ↑ Hunt, Christopher (September 26, 2011). "Jay-Z: Team to be Brooklyn Nets". ESPN. Retrieved September 26, 2011.
- ↑ Honan, Edith. "New York Islanders to move to Brooklyn in 2015". Reuters Canada. Retrieved October 24, 2012.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Sandomir, Richard; Bagli, Charles V. (January 21, 2004). "Brooklyn Developer Reaches Deal to Buy New Jersey Nets". The New York Times. Retrieved October 4, 2012.
- ↑ "Barclay’s Center Opens In Brooklyn". nymn.com. September 28, 2012. Retrieved September 28, 2012.
- ↑ "Nets Say Brooklyn Move May Be Delayed Further". The New York Times. Associated Press. January 4, 2008. Retrieved October 20, 2010.
- ↑ Leitch, Will (November 2, 2008). "No Red Dawn for Ratner". New York Magazine.
- ↑ Isola, Frank; Lawrence, Mitch (October 27, 2008). "Bruce Ratner Explored Nets Sale". Daily News (New York).
- ↑ Thompson, Ryan (July 9, 2009). "The Court Date Is Set for Atlantic Yards in Brooklyn". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Retrieved September 10, 2009.
- ↑ "Prudential Center To Host New Jersey Nets Pre-Season Basketball". Prudential Center's Official Website. March 4, 2009. Archived from the original on March 15, 2009. Retrieved March 19, 2009.
- ↑ Sherman, Ted (December 16, 2009). "Deal to Move NJ Nets to Newark's Prudential Center Falls Apart". The Star-Ledger (Newark). Retrieved December 19, 2009.
- ↑ "New York Court of Appeals Rules State Can Use Eminent Domain to Take Land for Atlantic Yards Arena Project". The Star-Ledger (Newark). Associated Press. November 24, 2009. Retrieved February 7, 2010.
- ↑ Martinez, Jose; Lombardi, Frank (December 4, 2009). "No Eminent Domain for Columbia University Expansion: Court". Daily News (New York). Retrieved February 6, 2010.
- ↑ Brennan, Josh (June 29, 2010). "Work Begins on Concrete Foundation for Nets new Brooklyn Home". The Record. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
- ↑ "Steel for the Barclays Center in Brooklyn Begins to go Vertical". New Jersey Nets News. November 23, 2010. Archived from the original on November 23, 2010. Retrieved November 23, 2010.
- ↑ Sheets, Connor Adams (May 20, 2010). "New York Islanders Ponder Move to Willets Point". Astoria Times. Retrieved 2010-05-30.
- ↑ "Everything You Need to Know About Barclays Center’s Hockey Configuration". New York Magazine. Sep 13, 2013. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
- ↑ Kosman, Josh (2013-04-25). "Islanders may change team colors with move to Brooklyn". New York Post. Retrieved 2013-08-13.
- ↑ "Garden wilting at No. 2 as Barclays Center named highest-grossing venue in US". NY Post. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
- ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/28/nyregion/building-with-weathering-steel-both-rugged-and-rusty.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
- ↑ "Barclays Center". SHoP Construction. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 "Plaza at Barclays Center to Include New Transit Entrance with Green Roof, Landscaping and Open Space for Community Programming" (Press release). Barclays Center. September 28, 2010. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
- ↑ "6 ways to maximize home-field advantage in sports venue design". Building Design + Construction, Jon Niemuth, September 26, 2013.
- ↑ Bagli, Charles V. (March 17, 2011). "With Federal Case and Modular Building Plan, New Attention for Atlantic Yards Project". The New York Times.
- ↑ "Nets' New Arena Reportedly To Be Called "Barclays Center"". NY1. January 17, 2007. Retrieved July 1, 2010.
- ↑ Bagli, Charles V. (December 12, 2009). "Nets Arena in Brooklyn Atlantic Yards Fends Off Challenge". The New York Times. Retrieved June 9, 2010.
- ↑ "Barclays Center Project POS". p. 80. Retrieved June 9, 2010.
- ↑ Decambre, Mark (September 20, 2012). "Barclays Has No Game Despite Its $400M Arena Deal". New York Post. Retrieved September 22, 2012.
- ↑ "Nets Schedule". Brooklyn Nets. Retrieved September 24, 2012.
- ↑ "Nets Dunked By Sandy". New York Observer. Retrieved December 13, 2012.
- ↑ Katz, Andy (September 27, 2011). "A-10 to hold tourney at Barclays". Retrieved September 27, 2011.
- ↑ "2013 NBA Draft will be held in Brooklyn at the Barclays Center". CBS Sports. Retrieved April 24, 2013.
- ↑ "Barclays Center To Host 2013 MTV Video Music Awards". NY1. Retrieved March 26, 2013.
- ↑ "Luxury Box Holders Accuse Barclays Center Of Racism, File $4 Million Lawsuit". Gothamist. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
- ↑ Bragg, Chris (Feb. 28, 2013). "Barclays Workers Fail to Break From Union". Crain's.
- ↑ http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/college/kentucky-maryland-multi-year-deal-play-barclays-center-article-1.1290820
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Barclays Center. |
- Barclays Center, official website of Barclays Center
- YouTube
| Preceded by Prudential Center |
Home of the Brooklyn Nets 2012–present |
Succeeded by current |
| Preceded by Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum |
Home of the New York Islanders starting 2015 |
Succeeded by future |
| Preceded by Staples Center |
MTV Video Music Awards 2013 |
Succeeded by Time Warner Cable Arena |
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Coordinates: 40°40′57.54″N 73°58′28.88″W / 40.6826500°N 73.9746889°W