Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Nets Brooklyn Arena Delayed Until 2010
By
Jill Priluck
Published Dec 12, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jill Priluck
Published Dec 12, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
The NY Times is reporting that the Nets won't be playing in Brooklyn for the 2009-2010 season because the arena won't be finished until 2010. The Times attributes the delay to legal challenges.
The most publicized lawsuit is the federal case brought by 13 property owners and tenants. The suit alleges that the taking of their property via eminent domain was unconstitutional. In June, a US District Court judge dismissed the case, finding that the 22-acre, $4 billion Yards project qualified as a "public use," because of plans for housing, office space, and a sports arena, among others. Plaintiffs' counsel recently appeared before the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, arguing before a three-judge panel for a trial to determine whether the project was awarded to confer a private benefit rather than for public use.
There are other suits. One, filed by community groups in state court, seeks to annul the state's environmental impact statement and begin the process anew. Another, also filed in state court, involves rent-stabilized tenants who argue that their rights as tenants were extinguished after their buildings were demolished following the state's use of eminent domain.
The tireless Norman Oder criticized the Times in October for reporting that the stadium would open in 2009. Oder predicted that "in the best-case scenario, the arena would open in [sic] for the 2010-11 basketball season."
Another issue surrounding the arena involves its proximity to the street. According to the City Room, the arena is planned for at least 20 feet from the street. In Newark, a new arena is the same distance from the street - and that leads to street closures during games for security reasons. A version of the blog post appeared in the Times print edition three days later.
In other Yards news, departing Deputy Mayor Daniel Doctoroff told the Observer this week that, on second thought, he would support a public review process for the Yards. "If it happened again, and the state were to ask if I would encourage them to take Atlantic Yards through the ULURP process, I would say yes," he said.
Tagged
Atlantic Yards
atlanticyards
barclayscenter
basketball
blogs
brooklyn
Circuit Court
city
city room
court
Daniel Doctoroff
danieldoctoroff
deputy mayor
Deputy Mayor Daniel Doctoroff
District
District Court
education
games
housing
In June
lawsuit
mayor
nets
News: NYC
Norman Oder
normanoder
ny times
sports
the times
this week
us
US District Court
Jill Priluck
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Judge temporarily halts overnight construction at NYC’s Chinatown jail
The order comes after Chinatown residents sued the city over noise, health concerns and years of planned after-hours construction.
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Oct 26, 2026 at 7:08 p.m. ET
Pressure grows on Mamdani to reform admissions to NYC specialized high schools
A former top-school official will join councilmembers and other prominent educators at an event focused on specialized high schools.
By
Elizabeth Kim
News
Pressure grows on Mamdani to reform admissions to NYC specialized high schools
A former top-school official will join councilmembers and other prominent educators at an event focused on specialized high schools.
By
Elizabeth Kim
Police search for man in Central Park sexual assault
By
Charles Lane
Rockefeller Center's 2026 Christmas tree is a 76-foot spruce from Upstate New York
By
Giulia Heyward
‘A killer cop lives here’: Brooklyn arrests raise questions about limits of free speech
By
Ben Feuerherd
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .