Opponents of massive sports arena mock groundbreaking ceremony, ‘bury the soul of Brooklyn’
By APThursday, March 11, 2010
Protests at groundbreaking for Brooklyn arena
NEW YORK — Opponents of the massive Atlantic Yards development project in Brooklyn are protesting the official groundbreaking ceremony.
They held a mock funeral Thursday “to bury the soul of Brooklyn.” The event took place in front of a bar that is scheduled to be demolished to make way for the development.
The project has been delayed by lawsuits filed by residents fighting the use of eminent domain for the $4.9 billion, 22-acre project, which includes a $1 billion arena for the New Jersey Nets. It was originally supposed to be open for the current NBA season. The arena is now scheduled to open sometime in 2012.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Gov. David Paterson and developer Bruce Ratner are among officials scheduled to attend the groundbreaking Thursday afternoon.
