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May 5, 2008
Nets to Newark could be a blessing
MetroNY
by Neil deMause
This commentary marks the notable lack of excitement in Brooklyn over the prospect of the Nets making a home in our borough, and how there's little economic benefit to having them here. DeMause goes on to note how Brooklynites are much more interested in affordable housing, which Atlantic Yards will not deliver for a very long time, if ever. The logical conclusion is that now is a good time to rethink the entire project.
So what would the city, and the borough, really lose if the Nets never arrive? Nets fans’ spending money would go to Newark instead of New York, but then Newark would get the game-night traffic jams as well. It’s questionable how many Jerseyites would make the two-river-crossing commute to see the team that bolted their state. And if it’s only Brooklynites spending money on overpriced Thai food instead of Vince Carter jerseys, that’s no difference to the city economy.
Meanwhile, the city would regain something that’s not often talked about: The opportunity to develop a large swath of land at the edge of super-hot brownstone Brooklyn. Without an arena, you would not need superblocks, which means no need for seizing property by eminent domain — which would allow for a plan that provided housing and jobs without unduly disrupting existing neighborhoods. The Nets might be how Atlantic Yards got started, but getting them out of the way might just be how to make it work.
Posted by steve at May 5, 2008 4:57 AM