Last night Community Boards 2 and 6 in Brooklyn held a joint meeting to discuss the liquor license for the Barclays Center over the Atlantic Yards. And, as with everything regarding the future home of the Nets, it was a long slog. The meeting took two-and-a-half hours and ended with little resolution—despite the fact that nobody seriously thinks the State Liquor Authority is going to reject the application.
So what was discussed? Well, reps from Levy Restaurants, which will run the concessions, walked folks through their plan: there will be 57 points of sale for booze, 27 beer-only, along with hawkers selling drinks in the stand. Alcohol sales will cap off an hour before the end of events, they say, and guests can only buy two drinks at a time (per NBA rules). Meanwhile, those opposed—or at least opposed to giving the arena a liquor license well before it opens in September with logistical questions still unanswered—were on hand to vent. "There will be drinking and driving," Hildegaard Link, a member of Community Board 6, said at the meeting. "How many more dead bicyclists and pedestrians to we need? This is not a joke."
Council Member Letitia James, as you can see in the video from Brownstoner below, was there to add: "I don't see how I can be responsible, and stand up and say I am doing my job in the absence of knowing this community will be safe... I truly believe, in my heart of hearts, it's premature... We don't even know, as of today, what precinct will have oversight." She continued by requesting that the liquor license bid be suspended until “all of those outstanding issues can be resolved.”
WNYC reports that a number of residents have shelved their disapproval citing the inevitability that the SLA will grant the Barclays Center a liquor license which would in turn stimulate the local economy. Said restaurant owner David Vendley, "The arena is opening up regardless. If we were having a conversation about whether or not this neighborhood should have this arena, I might feel differently. But if this arena is going to be here, I feel that they should be granted a liquor license because it will allow it to succeed which will create jobs and create more foot traffic into Brooklyn businesses not even affiliated with this company." Indeed. Everyone gets a little spendy after a few Heinekens!
And so, in the end, nothing was actually really decided. CB2's panel approved the liquor license request with a bunch of stipulations, while CB6's panel voted to table the application until arena officials create a "community advisory committee" to discuss concerns about post-game security and underage drinking. Which means we can all expect a few more fun, lengthy community meetings before fans start puking in the streets. For a full account of the meeting, with a whole lot more video, head over to the Atlantic Yards Report.
