Bring Brooklyn Back: Barclays Center, Atlantic Yards, and Gentrification

Coming off of a disappointing season, the Brooklyn Nets will look to improve upon their bottom three record for the 2016-2017 season. The discouragement felt by fans entering Barclays Center, the home of the Nets, is a far cry from the hopeful cheers that filled the stadium during its three-year streak of play-off bids that ended in 2015. However, the dismay of the fans pales in comparison to the local discontent about the construction of Barclays Center, which has been a pressing issue far before that project ended in 2012. The construction of Barclays Center was successful despite strong local opposition to the project for reasons such as its reliance on local taxes, its accelerating effect on the rapid gentrification of the neighborhood, and the increased street traffic and harassment from workers that comes with projects of this magnitude. This completion of the project is a significant, recent example of how power and wealth can trump opposition from those who have neither. Whether the benefits that the stadium brings are worth the loss of local control is a determining factor on whether this kind of forced transformation should be tolerated.

The opening of Barclays Center was a spectacular affair, with several concerts as well as the newly formed Brooklyn Nets’ first NBA game only a few weeks away. Businessman and rap-superstar Jay-Z had a large part in the formation of the new team, as he became a part-owner in 2012 and helped design the team’s logo. In an interview talking about the logo and the opening of Barclays Center, Jay-Z explained, ”I wanted to make it really classic and strong — a throwback to Brooklyn and what we’re about” (Waddell). Jay’s support for the new team was meaningful to many young people in the Brooklyn community, as Jay-Z grew up in Brooklyn and is seen as a role model to many of his fans. However, even though Jay-Z threw his support behind the Nets in an attempt to bolster the spirit of the borough, the opinion of many locals is that the construction of Barclays actually had a destructive effect on Brooklyn. The finalized construction was the final blow in a hefty battle between builders and protesters. The full story of how Barclays Center came to be has less to do with sports and musical performers than a class struggle weighted heavily in favor of the rich.

Despite the fact that many locals appreciate the addition of a basketball team, the construction of Barclays Center was not the result of a clamoring by the citizens of Brooklyn for a sports team and a center to house concerts. The stadium was originally intended to be the focal point of a construction project called Atlantic Yards, which encompasses a 22 acre area of downtown Brooklyn.  The project was led by Bruce Ratner, who was able to purchase the land through his development company, Forest City Ratner. The process through which Ratner obtained ownership of the area is criticized by many, mainly because his bid for the land was the only bid that was accepted by the city. Many New Yorkers, including co-founder of the Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn Organization, Daniel Goldstein, believe Ratner was able to obtain the land through corrupt practices. Goldstein’s reasoning is that the transaction for Atlantic Yards occurred just a few years after Ratner was given the Vanderbilt Yard Property despite the fact that the other bidder was willing to pay twice as much (Goldstein). Although Ratner had originally won the support of the Brooklyn community by proposing a ten year project that included thousands of affordable housing units, it became apparent to the public after a few years that there was no plan to build anything of the kind. In the midst of a housing crisis and recession, Ratner was using the two billion dollars in taxpayer money to build high rise apartments and residences that few people living in the neighborhood would be able to afford. Despite lawsuits and protests against the construction, no action was taken that had any real impact on how Ratner was transforming the neighborhood. Ratner purchased the then New Jersey Nets early on in his development scheme as a way to leverage public support for his project. Moving the Nets to Brooklyn and planning to create Barclays Center as the home for the team was a move that actually won some support for Ratner’s project. Implementing Brooklyn’s first sports team in over 50 years was a huge factor that pulled a significant amount of opposers away from the protest of Atlantic Yards.

One of the problems people have with the Atlantic Yards project is the complete lack of choice that Brooklyn locals had in the matter. Ratner was able to easily take ownership of the land and do what he wanted with it without much regard for public opinion. The gentrification of the neighborhood took its toll on small business owners, who rallied to protest the construction project to no avail (Barker). Many also see the project as a misuse of taxpayer’s money, especially since sports facilities have tax-exempt support from the federal government. In his recent article, reporter Norman Oder revealed that “The New York City Independent Budget Office in 2009 estimated some $200 million in public costs given the tax-exempt financing.” This means that tax-payers first lose money when a portion of their taxes goes toward building the stadium, and then they lose money again because they have to pick up the slack from the tax-exempt stadium. Other critics have pointed out that the space the new apartments take up could have been used to build something for the community, such as a school.

When visiting Barclays Center, it is easy to see why some citizens of Brooklyn may have all but forgotten about the scandal that surrounded the construction project. The stadium is colossal and the architecture breathtaking. The front of the center is part of a giant oculus that ends with the entrance to a transit connection hub, which connects to most major subway lines. The general atmosphere around Barclays Center is lively and enthusiastic when there is a concert going on or the Nets are playing, and it is evident to any visitor how much pride Brooklyn locals have for their basketball team, despite its recent struggles. It is difficult to deny that in this respect, the Atlantic Yards Project benefited Brooklyn by giving its people a team to root for and a beautiful destination point. Even though the stadium alone could seem like it was definitely a positive contribution to the neighborhood, many would say the negative effects of the construction project far outweigh the benefits.

Neighbors surrounding Barclays center have been complaining for years about issues with the stadium’s location, one problem being unmanageable traffic. A study done in 2013 revealed that traffic increased dramatically around Barclays Center on game days, and most parking spots in the neighborhood are filled after 7pm on any given day (Sadik-Khan). While the traffic problems around Barclays affects residents during their driving commutes, the people making their commute on foot also face an issue more serious than traffic: sexual harassment. The Atlantic Yards project demands the employment of thousands of construction workers, but this growth in jobs has caused a growth in out-of-control workers catcalling women on foot. An article published in April 2016 highlights how prevalent the problem has become, as there have been many complaints made to the Forest City Ratner executives that have been met with no solutions. No construction project seems worth it if its neighbors are afraid to leave their house in fear of being harassed. Barclays Center has also received numerous fines over the past few years for noise complaints. The fines don’t seem to be making much of a difference, because a building with the backing that Barclays has can brush off thousand dollar fines without batting an eye. Being able to walk without harassment, drive without delay, and sleep without interruption are not outrageous demands, but these issues are not being addressed.

These problems of gentrification make life difficult for locals who have to face the constant construction and harassment, but people who can no longer afford to live in the area as a result of the rising rent prices bear the biggest burden. This concern has been raised many times in the past decade, and the solution offered by the Atlantic Yards officials was that affordable housing units would be built for those who could not keep up with the rent increase. However, the affordable housing construction has been severely behind schedule, as the first lottery open to the public has still not taken place yet. The lottery is scheduled for June 27th, 2016, and though it is better to be late than never, the lottery only offers ten apartments to families of four that make between 30-40% of the area medium income. For the many low-income families not part of that lucky ten, yet another year will go by without having access to the neighborhood. The residents living in the area were powerless against Ratner’s forceful changes to the community, which have been making Brooklyn locals face the harsh truth that their outcries about the current state of the neighborhood might always be drowned out by the wealthy and the powerful.

On the surface, Barclays Center has beautiful architecture, and the stadium along with the new basketball team was supported by many local heroes. However, the gentrification and modification of the neighborhood that resulted from the full Atlantic Yards Project spoils the spirit of Barclays Center, because of the burden these changes put on the locals. The stadium is simultaneously a source of pride for Brooklyn sports and a shameful reminder that citizens are often rendered powerless against the rich. The story of Barclays Center should be well known by New Yorkers not just because it houses Brooklyn’s first sports team in fifty years, but because it could be the first of many defeats that New Yorkers will face when trying to hold on to what makes their neighborhoods home.

Works Cited

Barker, Cyril Josh. “Atlantic Yards battle is far from over.” New York Amsterdam News: 25 Mar. 2010: 3+. Academic Search Complete. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.

Goldstein, Daniel. “What Is Atlantic Yards? A Complete Failure of Democracy.” Huffington Post: 25 May 2011. Web. 20 Apr. 2015.

Korman, Richard. “Lawsuit Moves Forward Over Brooklyn Arena Excavation.” ENR: Engineering News-Record 273.4 (2014): 1. Academic Search Complete. Web. 20 Apr. 2015.

Oder, Norman and Lavine, Amy. “Urban Redevelopment Policy, Judicial Deference To Unaccountable Agencies, And Reality In Brooklyn’s Atlantic Yards Project.” Urban Lawyer 42.2 (2010): 287-373. Academic Search Complete. Web. 21Apr. 2015.

O’Keefe, Michael. “Fight Night: Atlantic Yards neighbors lash out at developers as harassment Persists” New York Daily News: 15 April 2016. Web. 28 May 2016.

Pring, Nicola. “A Drop in the Bucket: Barclays Center Fined $3200 for Excessively Loud Concert” Observer: 7 May 2013. Web. 24 May 2016.

Sadik-Khan, Janette. “Barclays Center On‐Street Parking Impact Study.” New York City Department of Transportation: 26 Sep 2013. Web. 28 April 2015.

Waddell, Ray. “Brooklyn Rises.” Billboard 124.32 (2012): 33-38. Academic Search Complete. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.

Whitforth, Emma. “This is What Affordable Housing Means If You Want to Live Above Barclays Center”. Gothamist: 28 April 2016. Web. 29 May 2016.