Lukewarm reception to Nets Arena in Queens

[Cotuit]

Economists Not Sold On Pitch For Basketball Arena In Queens

by Paul Menchaca, Western Queens Editor - March 04, 2004

When City Councilman Eric Gioia recently said that he would want to see the New Jersey Nets scrap their plans to move to Brooklyn, in favor of building a new stadium over the Sunnyside rail yards, more than a few eyebrows were raised.

Sunnyside Railyards in Queens

However, when Gioia reiterated the plan at an economic forecast conference in Long Island City last week, it did not win a favorable response from financial experts at the event. The economists argued that building a new stadium in Queens would not prove to be a boost to the local economy.

Bruce Ratner recently bought the Nets and wants to build a $450-million arena in downtown Brooklyn. His plan would require displacing hundreds of residents, which has been met with an uproar in the community.

Gioia, from Woodside, showed up last week in Brooklyn at a rally against the proposed arena, saying that Queens would welcome the Nets here. The councilman also proposed the area next to Shea Stadium in Flushing as a possible site for the arena.

Gioia called the Sunnyside rail yards