Barclays Center May Not Open Until 2010-11 Season Is Underway

Opening Of Barclays Center May Be Pushed Back To Nets' 2010-2011 Season

Atlantic Yards developer Forest City Ratner yesterday acknowledged that the Nets' Barclays Center in Brooklyn "may not be open until the 2010-11 season is well underway," according to Julian Garcia of the N.Y. DAILY NEWS. While "saying the plan remains to move the team to Brooklyn in 'calendar year 2010,'" Forest City Ratner Exec VP/Government & Public Affairs Bruce Bender "admitted that schedule 'is in fact very aggressive.'" Bender: "While that's the goal, if it is not met, then it would end up being calendar year 2011." The Nets' move to the Barclays Center "already has been delayed and [Nets Owner Bruce] Ratner has suggested recently that it could be pushed back again" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 8/5).

THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX: Nets Senior Manager of VIP & All-Access Experience Mark Higuera recently attended the Ticket Summit in Las Vegas to "think outside the box" in selling tickets both at the Izod Center and Barclays Center. Higuera said of the event, "It was a great place to network." TICKETNEWS.com's Tim Fraser reported though the Barclays Center "is still currently under construction, Higuera ... has the advantage of a $6[M] showroom in Manhattan constructed to allow clients to view seats and potential sight angles." Higuera said of the showroom, "I try to use it as much as possible; it definitely has helped me and the other departments here close business. The first thing potential clients say is 'I can't believe you have this,' and 'I was not expecting this, this is pretty impressive'" (TICKETNEWS.com, 8/1).