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September 18, 2012
Brooklyn Holds Court: Barclays Center To Impact Surrounding Traffic And Businesses
NY1
by Tara Lynn Wagner
While business owners hope to turn sports fans and concert-goers at the new Barclays Center into customers, local residents are concerned about overcongestion. NY1's Tara Lynn Wagner filed the following report.
Selling out the Barclays Center is good news for Jay-Z but not necessarily for local Brooklynites. They say crossing the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and Flatbush Avenue is already dangerous on foot and can take 20 minutes in a car.
"It's just going to be a nightmare because cars are going to be bottled up," says resident Julia Pacetti. "There are no really good sidewalks in that area to speak of. They are very narrow. I just don't think the roads and the sidewalks are going to be able to accommodate the cars and the people."
Greg Yerman, on the other hand, says he's happy to accommodate the new crowds. As the owner of two restaurants on Flatbush Avenue, he expects that an influx of 18,000 people will spice up business.
"If we can get even a small percentage of those butts in our seats, it would be a significant coup for us," he said.
...While restaurant and bar owners prepare to cash in, other small business owners fear the new economic climate could force them to move out.
Their problem is that as the arena went up, so have the rental rates.
"Rental rates just about a year ago were in the $75, $80-a-foot range and we're now seeing rents approach $200 a foot in the immediate vicinity to the stadium," [commercial realtor Geoffrey] Bailey says.
article [with video]
Related coverage...
Atlantic Yards Report, NY1: residents may worry, but businesses mixed/optimistic about arena opening
Norman Oder sums up the story...
The gist:
- a resident worries about traffic
- a restaurant owner is hopeful
- a commercial real estate broker says rents have gone up and more food-related businesses are coming
- a barber thinks he'll be priced out
- the Chamber of Commerce CEO promises cross-promotion with local businesses (though that hasn't been announced)
Missing: the reason this is a strain for neighbors is that the state overrode city zoning to place an arena within 200 feet of a residential district.
NoLandGrab: If only Oder could be that succinct with his own stories!
Posted by eric at September 18, 2012 1:23 PM