Nets To Brooklyn - What Does it Mean to YOU?

December 24, 2006 by Vernon Jones.

If you have been visiting the www.nycsportingnews.com website for the past 3 years then you would know that I have knocked the Ratner project to build an arena downtown Brooklyn.  Just last week as read in the NY Daily News, the project has been OKd by a 3 member panel - Daily News Article.

Here are my thoughts on the project, and they have been my thoughts from the very beginning; The people who helped to fight for the arena project are the people who will benefit the least and the people who fought against it will benefit the most, including myself.

The Ratner group garnered support from members of the African American community by saying that there will be more jobs and affordable housing if the arena gets built.  There was lots of talk about the over 50% unemplyoment rate of the black men who live in the Fort Greene Housing projects (Ingersoll) and the arena would ease that rate.  That sounds like a good idea, right.  The problem is that by the time the arena is built those who are unemployed will not be living in those projects any longer, so the numbers will go up, but it will be a different demographics in the complex.  Taking place right at this very moment those projects are in the process of being emptied out, with those unemplyed men being relocated to other parts of NY and other states.  Don’t believe me? Just take a walk through the area and see how many vacant apartments are in the complex. 

Now this is what has been my concern from the very beginning. Ratner and his group could have garnered support without lying to his supporters.  Those same supporters will not benefit from the arena in any way, shape or form.  The Brooklyn Basketball Community that supported Ratner have already felt the disrespect when Ratner went across the bridge to Chelsea Piers in Manhattan to tap the owners of Basketbll City to run the Nets camps and clinics in Brooklyn.  After showing Ratner all sorts of support, the Brooklyn Basketball community (many who already operate camps & clinics) was completely overlooked when it came time to operate a Ratner funded camp/clinic program, complete with a budget.  Read the Article.

Those who have fought so hard against the arena, like the members of Develop Don’t Destroy and others, will benefit because many of them own property near the area where the arena will be built.  Their property value will go up at an even faster pace than it goes up right now.

For those supporters who believe they will get construction jobs you need to remember that you need to first be in a construction union and then you have to hope that you have enough contacts to get on the job.  (It’s a long shot).  Well what about those affordable apartements?  Do you know that there are many different levels of “affordable”?  Affordable in Prospect Heights, Fort Greene, Park Slope and Brooklyn Heights is different from “affordable” in East New York, Flatbush and Brownsville.  Affordable in Prospect Heights can mean $1,500 for a 1 bedroom apartment.

You get the picture.  I own a home in the area where the arena will be built and I own the only NYC Sports newspaper and my office is in Brooklyn, so I benefit all the way around, but it’s not about personal gain, it should be about the gain of the people of the community.

Think about it, where do you fit in as a supporter?  Have you asked Ratner?  Have you ever had a talk with Ratner? Good Luck! and Go Nets!

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