« From Sixth Avenue to Dean Street and Pacific Street, a route no longer; Goldstein's exit interview with the Daily News; more debate on the settlement | Main | From Tracy Collins: time-lapse photos, day and night, from 636 Pacific Street looking northwest at Atlantic and Flatbush avenues »
May 7, 2010
MSG Reno to Exile Liberty... to Newark?
Runnin' Scared
by Neil deMause
We'd have chosen death over Bruce Ratner's Atlantic Yards arena, but it sounds like we might get (the) Liberty instead. Maybe.
And with MSG renovations slated to last through 2013, there's even the possibility of a one-season stay in Brooklyn, given that Bruce Ratner's Atlantic Yards is still — officially, at least supposed to be complete by late 2012. Liberty officials didn't immediately return calls seeking more info on the team's plans.
And for those wondering, the Garden renovations — now officially pegged at a mind-numbing $775 million to $850 million — will be footed entirely by MSG, which is currently in the process of being spun off by Cablevision as its own corporate entity. Yes, MSG will still be getting its $11million-a-year property-tax break — at least until the city council decides that it's time to finally do away with the yearly subsidy that Ed Koch established in the 1980s and neglected to ever set an end date for. But at least the renovations won't be backed by new public dollars — unlike some other arenas we could mention, not to mention the now-dead plan for moving MSG across the street. Maybe if we're extra lucky, they'll even make the blue seats blue again.
Posted by eric at May 7, 2010 2:28 PM