Field of Schemes
sports stadium news and analysis

  

This is an archived version of a Field of Schemes article. Comments on this page are closed. To find the current version of the article with updated comments, click here.

February 03, 2009

"Death knell" for Atlantic Yards?

The New York Daily News reports that the cost of bulletproof glass to protect against terrorist attacks "could be the death knell" for the Nets' proposed Atlantic Yards arena in Brooklyn. Citing "a source familiar with the designs," the News says an anti-ballistic glaze would cost $625 a square foot - the paper doesn't attempt to estimate what this would total for the whole building, but suffice to say it'd be a lot.

Divining who anonymous sources are and their motivation for leaks is half the trick to understanding newspaper reports; my initial guess was that this was an attempt by Nets owner Bruce Ratner to explain why he's throwing architect Frank Gehry's glass-enclosed design under the bus. Reading further, though, I'm not so sure:

"Security is one component of the cost of the arena, but by no means the most significant," said the source. "There are a whole host of reasons why the current design is expensive, including the size, the signature look and the materials. It would be very difficult to fund this arena in this economic environment."

That sounds more like someone trying to say the project is dead, which, given that Ratner insists it's moving forward, wouldn't be someone on the builder's team. Unless they expect that people are going to parse "this arena" very carefully ("we can't build this arena, but we could build a cheaper one"), which clearly isn't the lesson that the News took from this.

(Actually, come to think of it, it's probably the same anonymous source as the News cited last time saying the project isn't likely to happen. Brooklynites, feel free to chime in with guesses as to the identity of the Deep Throat of Atlantic Avenue.)

COMMENTS

The nets will wind up either on long island or kansas city. New jersey is no longer a option. Iwouldnt mind them moving to kansas city.

Posted by Dan on February 3, 2009 05:00 PM

I enjoy this site, I really do. But in general, the constant talk of teams moving is getting ridiculous. If the need for new & better stadiums is that much of an issue, then these Commissioners need to re-think their sport's operational ways & how things are structured, because it's absurd on how expensive stadiums are and it's unrealistic to think the public is going to keep funding these projects, because they're not. It's a different America. Seeing teams relocate from bigger to smaller markets is ridiculous. If anything, these sports should set up a savings account for new stadiums and pay for it themselves, no matter how long it takes.

Posted by Mark on February 4, 2009 03:02 PM

Unfortunately, in most cases it'd be more lucrative for the teams to just keep the money in the savings accounts rather than spending it on stadiums. Very few sports facilities pay back their construction costs. Which is why the "need for new and better stadiums" is mostly a misnomer - it's the "need for new and better subsidies" that's at stake here.

Meanwhile, I don't know why Dan is so quick to write off New Jersey, which has not one, but two arenas the Nets could play in (Meadowlands and Newark). No, they won't suddenly become the Lakers there, but they won't in Kansas City, either.

Posted by Neil on February 4, 2009 05:45 PM

Dan. Instead of worrying about the teams in New Jersey, how about checking to see if the Islanders are going to move to Kansas City because I promise you that they be there before the Nets or Devils.

Posted by Steve on February 4, 2009 09:27 PM

It is brooklyn or long island for the nets if they dont move to either place they will be headed to kansas city. Even David Stern said it they will move out of the new york area most likely. Face it when the newark arena gets outdated the devils will be gone too. Both the nets and islanders could soon be gone which is a shame. Ihope you guys are happy when both teams are gone. Then you will bitch about that.

Posted by dan on February 4, 2009 11:42 PM

Poor Newark arena - not even six months old, and already people are predicting its doom...

Posted by Neil on February 5, 2009 12:07 AM

lol

Posted by Steve on February 5, 2009 11:29 AM

New jersey isn't a sports town. Why you think the jets and giants aren't called new jersey.

Posted by Dan on February 5, 2009 04:23 PM

New Jersey isn't a town to begin with.

Posted by KingmanIII on February 5, 2009 05:47 PM

Ok I forgot new jersey is a dump is that better.

Posted by Dan on February 5, 2009 07:39 PM

Ok I forgot new jersey is a dump is that better.

Posted by Dan on February 5, 2009 07:39 PM

dan, why are you so convinced the Nets are leaving Jersey when their only viable venues at this point are either the Izod Center or the Prudential Center?

Atlantic Yards is dead. It's not happening, especially not in this economy. KC would be a horrible move because it's not a good NBA market, and the NY/NJ metro area is the Nets' home.

Their only viable locations are East Rutherford or Newark. Deal with it.

Posted by LeftWingCracker on February 6, 2009 10:58 AM

Cracker, Dan's apparently gone into sour-grapes mode now that his beloved Atlantic Yards/Brooklyn Nets pipe-dream has all but crashed and burned. Don't pay him much attention.

Posted by KingmanIII on February 7, 2009 11:59 PM

Latest News Items

CONTACT US FOR AD RATES