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February 3, 2007
Marty's State of the Borough: Atlantic Yards, (certain) concerned citizens hailed
Atlantic Yards Report
From Borough President Marty Markowitz's wide-ranging State of the Borough address Thursday night:
The word is out about Brooklyn, no doubt about it. Last month, we learned that Barclays, one of the largest financial institutions in the world, will kick-off its expansion in America by investing $400 million dollars to name the Atlantic Yards arena — the Barclays Center. More proof that nowhere possesses the economic vitality or captures the popular imagination with more power than Brooklyn.
When you dream big these days, you dream Brooklyn!
The naming of the Barclays Center is a major step toward making one of my own dreams for Brooklyn a reality.
With thousands of apartments for Brooklynites of all incomes, new jobs for residents of every skill level — solid, union jobs — an arena for major concerts and events, 8 acres of open space, a new school — plus shopping, a boutique hotel, and world-class architect Frank Gehry designing it — all above one of the largest public-transportation hubs in the metropolitan region — Atlantic Yards will help create the new center of city life that our borough of 2.6 million residents deserves.
And I made a promise that I will continue to keep — to be responsive to the concerns of those in the area surrounding Atlantic Yards, and to make this project one that all Brooklynites are proud of for generations to come.
And I know that before long we’ll all be cheering together when the Brooklyn Nets leave the Manhattan Knicks in the Atlantic Division dust — and bring an NBA championship home to Brooklyn!
...Atlantic Yards is part of an even grander vision for Brooklyn. In 2004, I worked closely with Mayor Bloomberg and others to lay out a comprehensive plan for building a new downtown for Brooklyn. With renewed energy, we’re turning that plan into action.(Note that Atlantic Yards was not part of the Downtown Brooklyn rezoning or the planning process for it.)
Posted by amy at February 3, 2007 9:38 AM