Pacific Park, Brooklyn
Mixed-use development over a rail yard in Brooklyn.
Pacific Park is a mixed-use commercial and residential development project in Brooklyn, New York City, overseen by the Empire State Development Corporation. Originally named Atlantic Yards, it was renamed by developer Forest City Ratner in August 2014 as part of a rebranding. The project consists of 17 high-rise buildings near Brooklyn's Prospect Heights, adjacent to Downtown Brooklyn, Park Slope, and Fort Greene neighborhoods, and overlaps part of the Atlantic Terminal Urban Renewal Area. A major component is the Barclays Center sports arena, which opened on September 21, 2012.
- Location
- Brooklyn, New York City
- Developer
- Forest City Ratner (original); later Greenland Holdings, TF Cornerstone, Brodsky Organization, Related Companies
- Area
- 22 acres (8.9 ha), with 8.4 acres (3.4 ha) over a Long Island Rail Road train yard
- Buildings planned
- 17 high-rise buildings (15 originally planned)
- Buildings completed as of 2024
- 8
- Arena opened
- September 21, 2012
- Renamed
- August 2014 (from Atlantic Yards to Pacific Park)
Lore & Background
The project faced legal challenges over eminent domain, with the U.S. Supreme Court refusing to hear an appeal in June 2008. The New York Court of Appeals dismissed the final challenge in November 2009. Groundbreaking for the arena occurred on March 11, 2010, and it opened on September 21, 2012, attended by some 200 protesters. In June 2014, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the complex would be completed by 2025. That August, the complex was renamed Pacific Park. Greenland Holdings took a 70 percent stake in 2014. By 2018, only four of fifteen planned buildings had opened, and the deadline was delayed to 2035. The residential component includes the world's tallest modular apartment building, 461 Dean, opened in November 2016.
Reader's Guide
Pacific Park represents a major urban renewal effort in Brooklyn, combining residential, commercial, and sports arena components over a Long Island Rail Road yard. Its significance lies in its scale and the long history of proposals for the site, dating back to the 1950s. The project has been marked by delays, legal battles over eminent domain, and changes in developers and design. As of 2024, eight of the planned buildings had been completed, with work stalled on six Phase 2 sites. In August 2024, lenders Fortress Investment Group and the U.S. Immigration Fund agreed to foreclose, and along with the Related Companies, agreed to jointly take over development. The project's legacy includes the Barclays Center arena and the world's tallest modular apartment building, but its full completion remains uncertain.
Did You Know?
- The project was originally named Atlantic Yards, renamed Pacific Park in August 2014.
- The Barclays Center arena opened on September 21, 2012, with a Jay-Z concert on September 28.
More in Club History
Elsewhere in Brooklyn Nets
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced