Okay, before anyone says anything, that headline is blatantly misleading, I’ll readily admit: Forest City Ratner, which today was picked to redevelop the Nassau Coliseum and its surrounding property, is only a minority owner of the Brooklyn Nets now after selling majority ownership to Mikhail Prokhorov to raise funds to build the Barclays Center; and Madison Square Garden, which lost out to FCR, owns other stuff in addition to the Knicks. I feel dirty with SEO.
But anyway, Forest City Ratner will indeed be the Nassau Coliseum developers, which means it’s going to be their problem how to figure out to make over an arena with no anchor sports tenant and hefty competition from the Garden, the Prudential Center (now with less feeble owner), and, yes, Barclays. It’s conceivable that FCR will try to bundle its two arena properties somehow to offer something that the other local arenas can’t, but unless that’s “We won’t book you into Brooklyn unless you play your second local night on Long Island,” I’m not sure what that’d be.
Anyway, Nassau can now look forward to getting its own version of the Brooklyn spaceship, only with less rust on the outside. Not like anyone should care much in Nassau since no one lives within half a mile of the place there, and not like FCR’s initial designs in Brooklyn looked anything like what they ultimately built, but if you’re the type who gets off on vaportecture, go crazy.
I’m not sold on the economic benefit, but, based on the vaportechture, there must be something to be said for a sports arena’s ability to attract attractive people under about 30 years old who love to shop and aren’t going to events with significant others or friends. Match.com arena ?
“I feel dirty with SEO.”
It’s ruining journalism. Or even just good writing. Or just writing. Now, here’s a list of 10 things that I found other places.
And I feel dirty derailing what would have been an excellent discussion started by ChefJoe on the lack of verisimilitude in architecture mock ups.
Interesting to see that the proposal calls for hosting 6 Islanders home games at the redone Coliseum. That’s definitely a nice touch that MSG couldn’t offer as easily.
Definitely need to look under the hood… are there tax-exempt bonds or other ways to get cheap, government-assisted financing? Did the county give Ratner carte blanch to sell sponsorships and naming rights? If so, what’s the opportunity cost of what the county’s giving away.
Naming rights for an arena without a main anchor tenant ? In Seattle we haven’t been able to sell the naming rights for KeyArena for several years, we just don’t want to pay to change the signs. I would certainly expect government-backed financing though.
I think this one is a done deal. You are hearing no objections from Kate Murray or the Democrats or even Tom Suozzi. When all is said and done, I think the biggest story will be summed up in this little tidbit
Nets CEO Brett Yormark said this project could be the beginning of an entertainment franchise that extends far beyond New York, not unlike the business the Garden has spent the past decade building at venues such as Radio City Music Hall, the historic Chicago Theatre and the LA Forum.
“This could be the first of many chapters for us,” Mr. Yormark said.
Wouldn’t it be fantastic if, having had the Islanders back away from the opportunity to be part of Atlantic yards up front, then signing an agreement to host them after building what amounts to a basketball/concert arena only, FCR could now shuffle them back to their old digs rather than adapt the new building to suit hockey?
No, I don’t think even a managerial imbecile like the Islanders’ owner could fall for such a thing… but then again, I didn’t think he’d still be paying Alexei Yashin, or turn his backup goalie straight into a GM (sort of) either. Really, nothing would surprise me when it comes to Mr. Wang.
I think the Islanders probably should be in Brooklyn. However, I don’t know how well it will work in a building that was essentially built not to host their sport (and that is their fault… they had every chance to be part of it and have the building built to suit them). And if you are FCR, wouldn’t you really rather keep the arena busy with profit earning events it can handle easily as opposed to events you have to shoehorn in? Interesting times…
I hope the nhl doesnt let the islanders play in the nassau coliseum for 6 games. The rangers are going to be looking for a new place down the road. They should look in brentwood in suffolk county pilgram state. 13,000 seats for hockey is really dumb. Heard the price of the tickets for those 6 games at the coliseum will be through the roof. Bruce thanks but no thanks. Let the islanders play 41 games a year in brooklyn.
Who cares?
An area that is past it’s prime, locals are overburdened by taxes, companies leaving and the cost of living and there’s not much room
for growth by being on an island lack of without much accessibility.
They’ll build this and no one will come.