Part 8/9:
The envisioned benefits of the Atlantic Yards project included thousands of new residential units, with a significant portion designated for affordable housing. Yet, nearly eleven years later, only a fraction of those homes have materialized. Promises made to the people of Brooklyn quickly felt like hollow gestures, and the perception of broken promises further exacerbated community tensions.
As Barclays Center stands bold and central in Brooklyn, it symbolizes not only architectural achievement but also the pain of displacement and community degradation. Critics still lament that the arena has come to epitomize a borough’s painful transformations from community-centric to profit-driven priorities.