« When the press is lied to, shouldn't it fight back? With politics, that's started, but with Atlantic Yards, stenography too often rules | Main | Meet the new Kings County Democratic boss, Frank Seddio; same as the old boss? »
September 3, 2012
Brooklyn Nets scout Red Hook for training site
The basketball team's officials pay a visit to a Red Hook, Brooklyn, site owned by Joseph Sitt in search of a place for a training center and office. The Nets' owner has said he'll spare no expense.
Crain's NY Business
by Daniel Massey, Amanda Fung and Shane Dixon Kavanaugh
Bruce Ratner & Co. have already defiled Prospect Heights. Is Red Hook next?
Brooklyn Nets officials were scheduled to walk through a site in Red Hook owned by real estate developer Joseph Sitt on Wednesday as they press their search for a site for a new practice facility, a real estate source said.
Despite its ballyhooed move to Brooklyn, where its first regular-season game will be played Nov. 1, the team will continue to practice at the Nets Center in East Rutherford, N.J., during the upcoming season.
The search for a Brooklyn location has been going on for over a year now. Last year, the Nets weighed three sites in Brooklyn, according to another real estate source. But team officials decided not to pursue those opportunities because a number of key players reside in New Jersey and wanted to practice closer to home, the source said.
Wait! Weren't they all going to move to Brooklyn so New York could reap the tax revenue?
Mr. Sitt's site is a 660,000-square-foot parcel at 280 Richards St., between the huge Ikea store and the Fairway market in a fast-developing section of Red Hook. Just last week, Mr. Sitt told Crain's New York Business that in recent months he has been approached by developers and retailers to turn the site into an outlet mall.
NoLandGrab: Bruce Ratner and Joe Sitt — now there's a match made in Hell.
Related coverage...
Curbed, Nets Eye Joe Sitt-Owned Red Hook Site for Practice Facility
Crain's notes that the site is large enough to accomodate much more than a practice facility—Madison Square Garden has a 105,000-square-foot facility for three different teams. A spokesperson for the Nets wouldn't confirm they visited the site, only saying that the team is currently looking around.
NetsDaily, A Visit to 280 Richards St., Brooklyn
It's inaccessible. There's a reason why there's a ferry serving IKEA Brooklyn. It's not easy to get to, particularly for visitors. There's no subway service nearby and most of any trip from outside the borough is over surface streets. Moreover, getting to and from any of the region's airports won't be that easy. Remember, on road trips, teams leave from and return to their training facility.
Posted by eric at September 3, 2012 1:40 PM