Atlantic Yards & Pacific Park

The redevelopment of a 22-acre underutilized area in Downtown Brooklyn is bringing a mix of uses and benefits to the local community.

The Atlantic Yards Arena and Redevelopment Project—for which AKRF prepared the SEQRA Environmental Impact Statement—includes the 18,000-seat Barclays Arena, host to the Brooklyn Nets and other sports and entertainment activities; 16 new commercial and residential buildings; a reconfigured Long Island Rail Road train yard and subway facility upgrades; and eight acres of publicly accessible open space. The $4.9 billion project includes up to 6,430 apartments, of which 2,250 will be affordable to low, moderate, and middle-income households.

The EIS included complex interrelated quantitative analyses for multiple technical areas, including transportation, air quality, noise, and construction. We also prepared detailed analyses of other areas of concern, such as historic resources, socioeconomics, land use and zoning compatibility, urban design and visual resources, and schools. Particular attention was paid to potential water quality impacts from combined sewer outfalls on the Gowanus Canal and East River.

Industry Honors

2013 Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce Building Brooklyn Award for Economic Development

2013 Architizer A+ Building of the Year

2013 Sports Business Awards Facility of the Year

2013 AIA New York State Award of Merit

We analyzed two phases of the project and two variations of the project program to allow for flexibility in the uses of three of the proposed buildings. Comments on the DEIS were voluminous and AKRF worked around the clock with Empire State Development to effectively organize, evaluate, and respond to these comments in the FEIS within the narrow time frame allotted.

AKRF prepared detailed analyses of the fiscal and economic impacts of the Atlantic Yards project, including an independent evaluation of revenue projections from arena events such as professional sports, concerts, and family shows along with their concession sales and community use.

We projected the direct and indirect economic activity that would result from the Brooklyn Nets’ basketball operations and other non-game events, including spending impacts in the neighborhood from arena visitors. AKRF also estimated the arena’s tax revenues to New York City, the MTA, and New York State from construction and operation of the full development program.

Since the SEQRA Findings Statement was issued by ESD in 2006, AKRF prepared various technical memoranda and a Supplemental EIS to determine whether a delay in completion of Phase II of the project would result in new or materially different significant impacts as compared to the impacts identified in the 2006 FEIS.

The SEIS included three hypothetical construction phasing plans that were intended to be illustrative of a reasonable range of construction sequences and schedules that may occur through the construction period, and to facilitate the identification of practicable measures to mitigate potential impacts. The SEIS was approved by ESD in 2014.