Brooklyn Arena Promises Affordable Housing

New York, NY —

The proposed Nets arena in the Atlantic Yards in Brooklyn got a warm reception from the New York City Council yesterday. WNYC's Andrea Bernstein reports.

REPORTER: As with the West Side stadium, the City Council doesn't get a formal vote on the Brooklyn arena. But councilmember after councilmember praised the Brooklyn project, especially for its promise of offering thousands of units of affordable housing.

Still, Councilmember Charles Barron was skeptical of whether the jobs from the project would ultimately go to Brooklyn residents, and whether the traffic would create environmental problems.

BARRON: We already have a jam there as it is now without an arena so what is your plan to deal with that when an arena comes.

REPORTER: Ratner Vice President James Stuckey said basketball games would be held at off-peak times. He also said developer Bruce Ratner is seeking to avoid using emminent domain by buying up units in the arena's footprint. Ratner now owns 90 percent of the condos and coops and 60 percent of the rental buildings in the area.