A Proposal For A Combination Sports And Entertainment Complex
With Express Bus Transportation And Maximum Parking Facilities
As An Alternative To The Atlantic/Flatbush Site

The Empowerment Zone studies and analyses conducted by Congressmembers  Velazquez, Towns, Nadler and Owens approximately five years ago fully revealed the great potential of the Brooklyn Navy Yard for massive economic development.  Despite the fact that the final overall plan was not supported by the Mayor, there was one proposed project which survived and is going forward in the Navy Yard: a motion picture production studio presently under construction.

The, Brooklyn Navy yard site is a location which meets all of the necessary requirements for the development of a mega-sized, magnificent sports and entertainment complex which would produce thousands of jobs and a new and steady revenue stream for the City.  This is a challenging project which could be accomplished without any further damage to the environment of Brooklyn including the accumulation of pollution and poisonous fumes resulting from stalled traffic.  Housing which presently exists as well as future housing would in no way be threatened by the construction of such a complex.  The fact that the land is already owned by the government should also lower the overall cost of development.

An arena to house the Nets basketball team could easily be fitted into a Brooklyn Navy Yard Complex with state-of-the-art transportation and parking arrangements.  The billions of public and private dollars proposed for the development of the Flatbush and Atlantic Avenue arena could be better utilized for the creation of a world class combination sports, entertainment, studio production, exhibition halls, shopping mall and even a casino for tourists.  Architects and planners should be recruited to place a Brooklyn 2050 Center vision on the drawing board.  After the movie production studio presently being completed, the Nets Arena could be the second major component of the Center.  The master – plan for the New York City Olympics should be restructured to utilize the Brooklyn Navy Yard site for a significant number of events which require facilities that could continue with economically viable activities for the rest of the 21^st century.

The proposed Atlantic Flatbush Avenue Complex is not too ambitious; however, it is in the wrong location.  The site where a bold world class complex can be developed is the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

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