Barclays Center reneges on promise to line up general admission patrons toward the plaza, not Sixth Avenue

Senin, 20 Mei 2013

Barclays Center reneges on promise to line up general admission patrons toward the plaza, not Sixth Avenue

Fans wait outside Atlantic Ave.
entrance for tickets for The Killers

So, here's how Barclays Center officials made a promise, and completely failed to honor it.

In April, general admission patrons for the April Green Day concert formed queues going east of the Atlantic Avenue entrance, clogging a narrow sidewalk, wrapping around to Sixth Avenue, and blocking and endangering ordinary pedestrians.

Arena officials seemed concerned. As I reported 5/8/13, Barclays Center Community Affairs Manager Terence Kelly said at a community meeting that, going forward, people would line up east to west stretching toward the arena plaza.

That's not what happened this past Saturday, as would-be general admission patrons for The Killers began lining up at 7 am, and were again directed west to east, stretching around Sixth Avenue.

But why?

I haven't heard an explanation. Maybe this configuration helps the two businesses, MetroPCS and Elbow Room, that are open along the Atlantic Avenue facade.

But it sure won't be workable if and when a residential tower, with ground-level retail, opens at the northeast corner of the arena block (which is the southwest corner of Atlantic and Sixth avenues). Then again, that's the third residential tower planned, some years off.

Any explanation?

Given that Kelly typically does not respond to my queries (nor does the arena spokesman), I contacted him via Twitter yesterday morning to raise the issue. No response.

@heyitsterence Didn't you promise #BarclaysCenter patrons wuld line up from plaza, not 6th Ave? atlanticyardsreport.blogspot.com/2013/05/at-com… @ayinfonyc found diff
— Norman Oder (@AYReport) May 19, 2013