191-665: The Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower , also known as One Hanson Place , is a skyscraper in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York City , United States. Located at the northeast corner of Ashland Place and Hanson Place near Downtown Brooklyn , the tower was designed by Halsey, McCormack & Helmer and constructed from 1927 to 1929 as the new headquarters for the Williamsburgh Savings Bank . At 41 stories and 512 feet (156 m) tall,
382-581: A nave , aisles , and a chancel —spaces similar to those found in a church . A basement lobby leads to Atlantic Terminal and the Atlantic Avenue–Barclays Center station , while a mezzanine-level ladies' lounge overlooks the banking room. When the Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower was completed, there was commentary about both the building's architecture and its symbolism as Brooklyn's tallest building. Over
573-643: A $ 200 million deal on September 23, 2009, to become a principal owner of the Nets and a key investor in the Brooklyn arena. The Nets played two preseason games at Prudential Center in October 2009. The two preseason games were successful, and a deal that would have the Nets play at the Prudential Center for the 2010–11 and 2011–12 NBA seasons became more likely. Negotiations nearly fell apart, when
764-571: A 597-foot-tall (182 m) transmitter built atop the nearby Brooklyn Technical High School surpassed the building as Brooklyn's tallest structure in 1938. The tower remained New York City's tallest building outside Manhattan until 1989, when One Court Square in Queens was completed, and Brooklyn's tallest building until 2009, when the Brooklyner topped out. According to a 1989 New York Times article, there were 935 windows. The ground level of
955-549: A central core. The presence of the ground-story banking room prevented the construction of a central core, so the tower's elevators were instead placed at the southeast corner, connecting both to the offices above and the LIRR and subway stations in the basement. The upper stories were served by twelve elevators, and the Williamsburgh Savings Bank's president had a private elevator. Following the 2000s renovation,
1146-424: A challenge by property owners, regarding the state's use of eminent domain, which allowed the private property to be condemned. Groundbreaking for the project occurred on March 11, 2010. The first concrete was poured into Barclays Center's foundation on June 29, 2010. The arena began vertical construction on November 23, 2010, with the erection of the first steel piece. The arena topped out on January 12, 2012, and
1337-610: A dedication inscribed into it. The first six stories of the Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower are clad with limestone. The center of the Ashland Place elevation contains three arched windows, which measure about 40 feet (12 m) tall and are flanked by smaller arched windows. The center of the Hanson Place elevation has a similarly large arched opening with three round-arched doorways. The Hanson Place arch measures 24 feet (7.3 m) wide by 48.75 feet (14.86 m) tall. To
1528-425: A gross floor area of 273,186 square feet (25,379.8 m) and is divided into 197 ownership units, 179 of which are residential apartments. There is also a retail space spanning 33,000 square feet (3,100 m) across three levels. A 63-foot-tall (19 m) banking room occupies much of the building's lower section. To the south is the building's lobby and the Hanson Place entrance vestibule. The main lobby, extending
1719-545: A higher ratio of college-educated residents than the rest of the city as of 2018 . The majority of residents (64%) have a college education or higher, while 11% have less than a high school education and 25% are high school graduates or have some college education. By contrast, 40% of Brooklynites and 38% of city residents have a college education or higher. The percentage of Fort Greene and Brooklyn Heights students excelling in math rose from 27 percent in 2000 to 50 percent in 2011, and reading achievement rose from 34% to 41% during
1910-654: A historically African-American neighborhood, the cultural revival in the 1980s and 1990s has often been compared to that of the Harlem Renaissance. The late 1990s and early 2000s saw the influx of many new residents and businesses to Fort Greene. While issues of gentrification are raised with the Black population steeply declining from 41.8% in 2000 to 25.8% in 2017 (according to the Furman Center at New York University), Fort Greene stands to others as one of
2101-456: A multipurpose arena that could accommodate the Nets and an NHL team, it was built mainly for basketball. While it can accommodate an NHL-size rink, the scoreboard was off-centered above the blue line that is closer to the arena's southeast end. Capacity for hockey is 15,795, the second-smallest in the league (behind Winnipeg 's Canada Life Centre ). The seating arrangement for hockey is asymmetrical. There are only three rows of permanent seating on
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#17327721480962292-550: A picture of broken windows, cracked walls, flickering or inoperative lighting, and elevators being used as toilets. Further depressing the area was the decommissioning of the Navy Yard in 1966 and dismantling of the Myrtle Avenue elevated train in 1969 which made the area much less attractive to Manhattan commuters. From the 1960s through the 1980s, Fort Greene fought hard times that came with citywide poverty, crime , and
2483-618: A preseason game on September 21, 2013, losing to the New Jersey Devils 3–0 in front of a crowd of 14,689. The first goal in the arena's history was scored by Jacob Josefson of the New Jersey Devils. An Islanders game was scheduled for the previous preseason but was canceled due to the 2012–13 NHL lockout . The Islanders and Devils played again on September 26, 2014. This time, the Islanders defeated New Jersey 3–2 in
2674-470: A relatively low population of residents who are uninsured , or who receive healthcare through Medicaid . In 2018, this population of uninsured residents was estimated to be 4%, which is lower than the citywide rate of 12%. However, this estimate was based on a small sample size. The concentration of fine particulate matter , the deadliest type of air pollutant , in Fort Greene and Brooklyn Heights
2865-463: A root canal too". The LPC hosted public hearings in June 1993 to determine whether to designate the Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower's interior as a city landmark, along with the interiors of five other banks citywide. The bank's interior was designated a New York City landmark on June 25, 1996. Republic and its branches were acquired by HSBC Bank USA three years later. HSBC moved into floors 7–11, while
3056-441: A setback with the abandoned observation deck. This setback is approximately 320 feet (98 m) high. In the mid-20th century, visitors could access the deck by obtaining a card from the building's security guards, which had to be returned when the visitor departed. As late as the 1970s, the observation deck was open to the public during the middle of the day on weekdays, and visitors did not need to pay admission. The observation deck
3247-647: A shootout. The first goal in Islanders Brooklyn history was scored in the first period on a power play (and a delayed penalty call) by defenseman Ryan Pulock . The first regular-season game was played on October 9, 2015, against the 2015 Stanley Cup champions the Chicago Blackhawks , who won the game 3–2 in overtime. This was the sixth NHL game at Barclays Center, following five total preseason contests (three in 2015), and one Islanders rookie scrimmage. The first NHL regular-season goal scored in
3438-492: A significant discount. The clock was repaired again and relit in 2013. In June 2015, Madison Realty Capital bought the Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower's 41,400-square-foot (3,850 m) retail space, including the banking room, for $ 20.4 million. Madison Realty intended to convert the space into a flagship store . In 2017, the LPC approved a proposal by Higgins Quasebarth & Partners and Acheson Doyle Partners Architects to modify
3629-525: A tenant for the banking room, which was a city landmark and could not be extensively modified. Furthermore, the commercial owners wanted to wait for a suitable tenant, such as a "museum store" or other cultural institution that would preserve the banking hall. Events venue Skylight One Hanson agreed to operate the banking room in July 2009. Skylight One Hanson opened that September, renting the banking room for events at rates of at least $ 15,000 per night. The venue
3820-636: A three-way agreement with Barclays and the ACC, the A-10 returned its men's basketball championship to the Barclays Center in 2019, 2020 (which was cancelled after the first round due to the COVID-19 pandemic and 2021 (which was moved to campus sites due the ongoing pandemic). The arena and the A-10 agreed to extend the partnership for the 2023 and 2024 championships. In 2016, Barclays Center hosted games in
4011-412: Is 0.0088 milligrams per cubic metre (8.8 × 10 oz/cu ft), lower than the citywide and boroughwide averages. Eleven percent of Fort Greene and Brooklyn Heights residents are smokers , which is slightly lower than the city average of 14% of residents being smokers. In Fort Greene and Brooklyn Heights, 24% of residents are obese , 6% are diabetic , and 25% have high blood pressure —compared to
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#17327721480964202-536: Is a 3,263-square-foot (303.1 m), four-story penthouse. The New York Daily News said in early 1928 that the tower "will be the pioneer skyscraper of unusual beauty in its vicinity", while the Brooklyn Times-Union stated that the building was an "architectural triumph" that would raise nearby properties' values. When the tower was completed, the Brooklyn Citizen said that the tower
4393-551: Is a stairway to the main elevator lobby on the western wall. The basement lobby's plaster ceiling is a saucer vault containing a central chandelier. The bank's vaults and the subway lobby were accessible from the basement lobby. The bank's vaults were spread across three basement levels. Originally, there were 10,000 drawers for depositors in the main vault. The depositors' vault was sealed by doors measuring around 8 feet (2.4 m) wide and 5 feet (1.5 m) thick. Three such doors existed in total. The steel doors were being removed by
4584-707: Is also here, and the neighborhood is also served by the B25 , B26 , B38 , B45 , B52 , B54 , B57 and B62 bus routes. Fort Greene is served by NYC Ferry 's Astoria route, which stops at the Brooklyn Navy Yard . The Brooklyn Navy Yard stop opened on May 20, 2019. There are plans to build the Brooklyn–Queens Connector (BQX), a light rail system that would run along the waterfront from Red Hook through Fort Greene to Astoria in Queens . However,
4775-530: Is also the second-smallest in the league). The team began to seek an exit from Barclays, although NHL officials judged that the Coliseum (even with its recent renovations) would not be suitable as a full-time venue, as it lacked amenities common in new facilities. On June 21, 2018, the Islanders announced that they would begin to play a portion of their home schedule at Nassau Coliseum until the completion of UBS Arena . On September 18, 2019, Joe Tsai completed
4966-417: Is an entrance vestibule that connects with the lobby. Three sets of doors, topped by metal panels with motifs of small arcades , lead from the vestibule to the main lobby. The vestibule's west and east walls contain metal grilles with floral decorations. The lobby runs east–west across the southern side of the building, parallel to Hanson Street. The lobby's marble floor contains motifs, which are decorated in
5157-620: Is covered by ZIP Codes 11201, 11205, 11217, and 11238, which respectively cover the northwest, northeast, southwest, and southeast parts of the neighborhood. The United States Post Office operates three locations nearby: the Times Plaza Station at 539 Atlantic Avenue, the Times Plaza Annex at 594 Dean Street, and the Adelphi Station at 950 Fulton Street. Fort Greene and Brooklyn Heights generally have
5348-654: Is in neighboring Clinton Hill . Fort Greene is also home to the Brooklyn Academy of Music , the Brooklyn Music School , The Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts , BRIC Arts , UrbanGlass, 651 Arts performing center for African-American presenters, The Irondale Center for Theater, Education, and Outreach, the Mark Morris Dance Center and Lafayette Church. The Brooklyn Public Library (BPL)'s Walt Whitman branch
5539-464: Is indeed a fact that many of the inmates of these hovels keep swine, cattle, etc. in their cellars and not an unusual circumstance to witness these animals enjoying side by side with their owners the cheering rays of the sun; whilst offal and filth of the assorted family is suffered to collect about their premises and endanger the lives of those in their neighborhood by its sickening and deadly effluvia." Washington Park, renamed Fort Greene Park in 1897,
5730-783: Is located at 93 Saint Edwards Street. The current Carnegie library structure opened in 1908, though a library had existed in Fort Greene since 1900. The neighborhood is served by the New York City Subway at DeKalb Avenue ( B , D , N , Q , R , and W trains), Atlantic Avenue–Barclays Center ( 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , B , D , N , Q , R and W trains), Lafayette Avenue ( A and C trains), and Fulton Street ( G train). The LIRR 's Atlantic Terminal station
5921-522: Is located next to the Brooklyn Academy of Music . Brooklyn Technical High School , one of New York's most selective public high schools, began construction on Fort Greene Place in 1930. The poet Marianne Moore lived and worked for many years in an apartment house on Cumberland Street. Her apartment, which is lovingly recalled in Elizabeth Bishop's essay, "Efforts of Affection", has been preserved exactly as it existed during Moore's lifetime at
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6112-550: Is near the historic split of Jamaica Road (now Atlantic Avenue ) and the Flatbush Turnpike (now Flatbush Avenue). It overlooks Times Plaza at the intersection of Flatbush, Atlantic, and Fourth Avenues in Downtown Brooklyn . A commercial center was being envisioned around Times Plaza by the early 20th century. Prior to the tower's construction, there were "about eight" buildings on the lot. A small part of
6303-644: Is on the same block to the east, and the Brooklyn Academy of Music is just to the north. An entrance to the New York City Subway 's Atlantic Avenue–Barclays Center station is inside the building. The site is also near the Atlantic Terminal mall , the Atlantic Terminal station of the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), and the Barclays Center arena. The Alloy Block is located to the west, just across Flatbush Avenue . The site
6494-496: Is over twice the Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower's height. Through the late 20th century, local residents used the building both as a clock and as a landmark for giving out directions. A 1982 article for the Daily News described the Williamsburgh Savings Bank and its tower as a symbol of "who really runs Brooklyn". The high concentration of dentists as tenants led the Daily News to call the building "the mecca of dentistry" in
6685-588: Is patrolled by the 88th Precinct of the New York City Police Department . Politically it is represented by the New York City Council 's 35th District. Fort Greene is a historically African-American neighborhood that has been significantly gentrified over the years, with the Black population decreasing from 41.8% in 2000 to 25.8% in 2017. In approximately A.D. 800, a gradual movement of Native Americans advanced from
6876-492: Is provided by B37 , B41 , B45 , B63 , B65 , B67 , and B103 buses. The first NBA basketball game played at the new arena was an NBA preseason game between the Nets and the Washington Wizards on October 15, 2012. The first regular-season NBA game at the Barclays Center took place on November 3, 2012, when the Nets beat the visiting Toronto Raptors 107–100. The originally scheduled season opener home game
7067-474: Is roughly bounded by Flushing Avenue to the north, Flatbush Avenue to the west, Vanderbilt Avenue to the east, and Atlantic Avenue to the south. Its main arteries are Fulton Street, Lafayette Avenue, and DeKalb Avenue , and the Brooklyn–Queens Expressway ( Interstate 278 ) passes through the neighborhood's northern edge. A 2015 survey by DNAinfo found that local residents disagreed over
7258-727: Is served by two New York City Fire Department (FDNY) fire stations. Engine Co. 207/Ladder Co. 110/Satellite 6/Battalion 31/Division 11 is located at 172 Tillary Street, serving the western part of the neighborhood, while Engine Co. 210 is located at 160 Carlton Avenue, serving the eastern part of the neighborhood. As of 2018 , preterm births and births to teenage mothers are less common in Fort Greene and Brooklyn Heights than in other places citywide. In Fort Greene and Brooklyn Heights, there were 74 preterm births per 1,000 live births (compared to 87 per 1,000 citywide), and 11.6 births to teenage mothers per 1,000 live births (compared to 19.3 per 1,000 citywide). Fort Greene and Brooklyn Heights have
7449-681: Is slightly lower than the median life expectancy of 81.2 for all New York City neighborhoods. Most inhabitants are middle-aged adults and youth: 15% are between the ages of 0–17, 44% between 25–44, and 20% between 45–64. The ratio of college-aged and elderly residents was lower, at 9% and 12% respectively. As of 2016, the median household income in Community Board 2 was $ 56,599. In 2018, an estimated 22% of Fort Greene and Brooklyn Heights residents lived in poverty, compared to 21% in all of Brooklyn and 20% in all of New York City. One in twelve residents (8%) were unemployed, compared to 9% in
7640-494: Is temporarily integrated". The controversial Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park project to build an arena (later known as the Barclays Center ) for the then-New Jersey Nets (now the Brooklyn Nets ) and a complex of large commercial and residential high-rises on the border of Fort Greene and Prospect Heights garnered opposition from many neighborhood residents who formed coalitions. In 1994 Forest City Ratner promised that
7831-586: Is well preserved. It is known for its many tree-lined streets and elegant low-rise housing. Fort Greene is also home to the Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower , which, for over 80 years, was the tallest building in Brooklyn. The neighborhood is close to the Atlantic Terminal station of the Long Island Rail Road and has access to many New York City Subway services. Fort Greene is part of Brooklyn Community District 2 , and its primary ZIP Codes are 11201, 11205, 11217, and 11238. It
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8022-726: The Brooklyn Eagle newspaper. Since the early 19th century, African Americans have made significant contributions to Fort Greene's development. New York State outlawed slavery in 1827 and 20 years later "Coloured School No. 1," Brooklyn's first school for African-Americans, opened at the current site of the Walt Whitman Houses. Abolitionists formed the Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church in 1857, and hosted speakers such as Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman and also aided in
8213-796: The 2020 event was held via videoconferencing. In addition to that, they have also hosted the NBA All-Star Weekend festivities in 2015 . Barclays Center was also the home for the Long Island Nets of the NBA Development League, now the NBA G League , during the 2016–17 season while the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum was being renovated for the 2017–18 season. The first WNBA game held at Barclays Center came on May 14, 2021, when
8404-604: The 2021 ceremony. The arena has also hosted many WWE wrestling events since the arena's opening. The first show held at the venue was the Tables, Ladders, and Chairs PPV event which famously held the first match for The Shield ( Roman Reigns , Seth Rollins , and Dean Ambrose ). They would continue to hold several WWE Raw episodes including its 25th anniversary episode in January 2018. In August 2015, Barclays Center hosted SummerSlam along with NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn
8595-688: The Battle of Long Island in 1776. Fort Greene Park , originally called "Washington Park" is Brooklyn's first. In 1864, Fort Greene Park was redesigned by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux ; the park notably includes the Prison Ship Martyrs' Monument and crypt , which honors some 11,500 patriots who died aboard British prison ships during the American Revolution . Fort Greene contains many examples of mid-19th century Italianate and Eastlake architecture, most of which
8786-497: The Brooklyn Navy Yard now stands on the northern border of Fort Greene. An Italian immigrant named Peter Caesar Alberti started a tobacco plantation near the bay in Fort Greene in 1649 but was killed six years later by Native Americans. In 1776, under the supervision of General Nathanael Greene of Rhode Island the American Revolutionary War era Fort Putnam was constructed. Later renamed after Greene,
8977-672: The COVID-19 pandemic in North America . At that point in time, the Islanders had six home games left in the regular season, two in Brooklyn and four in Nassau County, as well as six road games, and were one point shy of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference . While the Nassau Coliseum was closed indefinitely in June 2020, and the Islanders were reported to return to Barclays Center for
9168-581: The Delaware area into lower New York , ultimately settling as part of the Canarsie tribe among 13 tribes of the Algonquin Nation . In 1637, Walloon reformed Joris Jansen Rapelje purchased 335 acres (1.36 km ) of Native American land from Dutch West India Company in the area of Brooklyn that became known as Wallabout Bay (from Waal Boght or "Bay of Walloons"). This is the area where
9359-480: The LIRR 's Atlantic Terminal . The arena, proposed in 2004 when real estate developer Bruce Ratner purchased the Nets for $ 300 million as the first step of the process to build a new home for the team, experienced significant hurdles during its development. Its use of eminent domain and its potential environmental impact brought massive community resistance, especially as residential buildings and businesses such as
9550-623: The Manhattan Savings Bank , but the building's name was not changed. Over 100 dentists took up about seven-tenths of the office space by the early 1990s; the dental office on floor 29 was the highest accessible point in Brooklyn. The New York Times said the building had "one attraction that even the World Trade Center and the Empire State Building can't match: as you inhale the scenery, you can get
9741-542: The NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament for the first time. Notable moments at the Brooklyn site include a tip-in at the buzzer by Adam Woodbury to lift the Iowa Hawkeyes past Temple in overtime, 14th-seeded Stephen F. Austin 's upset win over 3rd-seeded West Virginia , and Rex Plfueger's last-second tip-in to help Notre Dame avert an upset bid by Stephen F. Austin in the second round. The arena
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#17327721480969932-589: The Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum , which the team had called home since its inception in 1972. The deal did not require the involvement of the New York Rangers , as the Islanders' agreement with the Rangers to share the New York area allows them to play their home games anywhere on Long Island, including the two city boroughs on the island, Brooklyn and Queens . While Barclays Center was conceived as
10123-714: The New York Liberty of the Women's National Basketball Association . The arena also hosts concerts, conventions and other sporting and entertainment events. The arena is part of a $ 4.9 billion future business and residential complex now known as Pacific Park . The site is at Atlantic Avenue , next to the renamed Atlantic Avenue–Barclays Center subway station on the 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , B , D , N , Q , R and W routes, as well as directly above
10314-752: The Rosenbach Museum & Library in Philadelphia by the Rosenbach brothers , renowned collectors of literary ephemera. Richard Wright wrote Native Son while living on Carlton Avenue in Fort Greene. During World War II, the Brooklyn Navy Yard employed more than 71,000 people. Due to the resulting demand for housing, the New York City Housing Authority built 35 brick buildings between 1941 and 1944 ranging in height from six to fifteen stories collectively called
10505-465: The Times in 1988 that the lack of nearby skyscrapers did not negatively affect the cityscape, and another Times writer described the Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower in 2001 as one of the few structures in Brooklyn's skyline that could be recognized from afar. It was only in the 2010s that several taller skyscrapers in Brooklyn were built. The largest of these, the 1,066-foot (325 m) Brooklyn Tower ,
10696-403: The Times wrote that the designs of the lobby and banking hall were "designed to make every depositor feel like a millionaire". In a book about Brooklyn's buildings, historian Francis Morrone described the Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower as among the city's greatest skyscrapers and surpassing Halsey, McCormack & Helmer's design for the neighboring Hanson Place Church. Some observers compared
10887-543: The Ward Bakery and Freddy's bar were to be demolished and large amounts of public subsidies were used, which led to multiple lawsuits. The Great Recession also caused financing for the project to dry up. As a result, construction was delayed until 2010, with no secure funding for the project having been allotted. Groundbreaking for construction occurred on March 11, 2010, and the arena opened on September 21, 2012, which some 200 protesters also attended. Its first event
11078-578: The crack epidemic . While some houses were abandoned, artists, preservationists and Black professionals began to claim and restore the neighborhood in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Herbert Scott Gibson, a resident of the street called Washington Park, organized the Fort Greene Landmarks Preservation Committee which successfully lobbied for the establishment of Historic District status. The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated two districts,
11269-428: The $ 23.8 million that Madison Realty owed on the retail space's mortgage. The tower was designed by the architectural firm Halsey, McCormack & Helmer . The building was constructed with elements of the Byzantine and Romanesque styles . Robert Helmer, the building's lead architect, had intended for the tower "to be regarded as a cathedral dedicated to the furtherance of thrift and prosperity". Sources disagree on
11460-443: The 1850s, Fort Greene's growth spread out from stagecoach lines on Myrtle Avenue and Fulton Street that ran to Fulton Ferry , and The Hill became known as the home of prosperous professionals, second only to Brooklyn Heights in prestige. During the 1850s and 1860s, blocks of Italianate brick and brownstone row houses were built on the remaining open land to house the expanding upper and middle class population. The names of
11651-489: The 2000s when the banking hall and basement were converted into a commercial space. The subway lobby has a plaster ceiling, revolving doors, and a decorative security fence. Outside the subway lobby, a passageway connects directly with the LIRR's Atlantic Terminal and the subway. Immediately above the main banking floor were three mezzanines for the Williamsburgh Savings Bank; these spaces contained executive offices and were also used to conduct bank transactions. The remainder of
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#173277214809611842-422: The 2000s. Before the residential conversion could begin, mercury vapors had to be removed from the former dentists' offices. The clock faces, which had become unsynchronized not only with the actual time but with each other, were also temporarily disassembled for repairs. Johnson did not plan to include affordable housing in the converted building, prompting criticism from community groups. Corcoran Group , which
12033-424: The 2000s. The New York Observer said in 2006 that the tower and the Brooklyn Bridge were likely the only "skyline landmarks" in Brooklyn. Several television series and movies have used the tower as a filming location. These have included the film Prizzi's Honor , the TV series Gotham , and the film Going in Style . It was also the fictional setting of a romantic sequence in the film Spider-Man: Across
12224-570: The 2020 census data from New York City Department of City Planning , there are between 10,000 to 19,999 White residents, and the Hispanic, Black and Asian populations are each between 5,000 to 9,999 residents. Some news articles from the mid 2010s to 2021 have spoken about the significant growing Asian population, especially the Chinese speaking population and most particularly in the affordable NYCHA housing developments of Walt Whitman Houses and Ingersoll Houses. Although there are no official neighborhood boundaries in New York City, Fort Greene
12415-755: The 2020–21 season if the Coliseum remained unavailable, a new leaseholder allowed the Islanders to play their 2020–21 home games there, meaning the final game at Barclays Center was March 3, 2020, a 6–2 loss against the Montreal Canadiens . Several boxing matches have taken place in the arena, including Danny Garcia vs. Zab Judah and Paulie Malignaggi vs. Adrien Broner in 2013, Ruslan Provodnikov vs. Chris Algieri in 2014, Deontay Wilder vs. Robert Helenius in 2022, and Devin Haney vs. Ryan Garcia in 2024. The venue hosted UFC 208: Holm vs. de Randamie on February 11, 2017, and it hosted UFC 223: Khabib vs. Iaquinta on April 7, 2018, and UFC Fight Night: Cejudo vs. Dillashaw on January 19, 2019. On November 6, 2016,
12606-415: The 30th story was shuttered in the late 1970s. The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) designated the exterior of the building as a New York City landmark on November 15, 1977. One of the bank's vice presidents said: "We did not seek this landmark status but we're rather proud of our building." The designation had to be approved by the New York City Board of Estimate , but this approval
12797-413: The Barclays Center was a shorthanded goal by Artem Anisimov for the Blackhawks in the first period, while John Tavares scored in the second period and was the first Islander to do so. The first Stanley Cup playoffs game at Barclays Center was held on April 17, 2016, when the Islanders defeated the Florida Panthers 4–3 in game three of the first-round series between the two teams. Seven nights later,
12988-403: The British during the War of 1812 , it thereafter slowly deteriorated. In 1801, the U.S. government purchased land on Wallabout Bay for the construction of the Brooklyn Navy Yard , stimulating some growth in the area. Ferry service linking Manhattan and Brooklyn launched in 1814, and Brooklyn's population exploded from 4,000 to nearly 100,000 by 1850. Fort Greene was known as The Hill and
13179-411: The Fort Greene Houses. Production at the yard declined significantly after the war and many of the workers either moved on or fell on hard times. In 1957–58, the houses were renovated and divided into the Walt Whitman Houses and the Raymond V. Ingersoll Houses. One year later. Newsweek profiled the housing project as "one of the starkest examples" of the failures of public housing . The article painted
13370-458: The Fort Greene and BAM Historic Districts, in 1978. Spike Lee established his 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks company in Fort Greene in the mid 1980s, further strengthening the resurgence of the neighborhood. From 1981 to 1997, this resurgence included the South Oxford Tennis Club , which became an important cultural hub. The Fort Greene Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 and expanded in 1984. As
13561-422: The Hanson Place Church in December 1926, and the building was erected in place of a chimney for the church. In January 1927, the Williamsburgh Savings Bank opened the temporary location at Flatbush and Atlantic Avenues. Later that month, Halsey, McCormack & Helmer filed plans for the new edifice with the city's Bureau of Buildings, and the bank announced that it would begin clearing the site. The bureau rejected
13752-429: The Islanders when the team moved to Brooklyn, though Charles Wang remained principal owner and continued to oversee hockey operations. This arrangement continued after Wang sold controlling interest in the Islanders to Jon Ledecky and Scott D. Malkin . Business operations were returned to the Islanders following the 2018–19 season. According to Billboard magazine, Barclays Center passed Madison Square Garden as
13943-507: The Islanders would play all home games in the 2020–21 season at Nassau Coliseum , their former home. It was also announced that the Islanders would play all of their home playoff games during the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs at Nassau Coliseum, meaning that their final game played at the Barclays Center was scheduled to be on March 22, 2020, against the Carolina Hurricanes . However, all NHL games were postponed on March 12 due to
14134-601: The New Jersey Sports and Exhibition Authority refused to release the Nets from their lease at Izod. Negotiations resumed, and on February 18, 2010, the Nets finalized a deal that would move them to the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey until Barclays Center opened. The New York Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the state using eminent domain for the project on November 24, 2009. Empire State Development Corporation Vice President Warner Johnston indicated that
14325-639: The New York division of Forest City Enterprises that Ratner founded. He acquired the New Jersey Nets basketball team in 2004 for $ 300 million (he has since sold most of his shares to continue funding the project) for the purpose of moving them to the Pacific Park development on Brooklyn's Prospect Heights play in the arena that would be the centerpiece of the Pacific Park commercial and residential redevelopment project. The move had marked
14516-578: The New York superintendent of banks to build a branch in Crown Heights, Brooklyn . Three months later, the bank decided to instead build a headquarters near Downtown Brooklyn's transit hub. The 175 Broadway building was to be retained as a branch. The Williamsburgh Savings Bank anonymously acquired lots on 1–9 Hanson Place and 135–149 Ashland Place in Downtown Brooklyn over a total of 29 transactions in 1926. The Times Union reported on
14707-477: The Spider-Verse . Fort Greene, Brooklyn Fort Greene is a neighborhood in the northwestern part of the New York City borough of Brooklyn . The neighborhood is bounded by Flushing Avenue and the Brooklyn Navy Yard to the north, Flatbush Avenue Extension and Downtown Brooklyn to the west, Atlantic Avenue and Prospect Heights to the south, and Vanderbilt Avenue and Clinton Hill to
14898-458: The Times item said the real estate boom has resulted in class conflict among a majority of the area's longtime residents (identified as "renters or squatters") and its new neighbors—middle to upper income homeowners (identified as out-priced Manhattanites attracted to the spatial wealth of Brooklyn and able to afford the high price of its grand scale Neo-Gothic brownstones.) The paper further explained
15089-568: The U.S. and in several other countries, although most depositors were from Brooklyn, Queens , and suburban Long Island . Among the building's tenants in the 1930s were the Bureau of Internal Revenue , the United Personal Loan Corporation, and Catholic newspaper The Tablet . A life insurance sales department opened within the building's bank branch in 1941. J. J. Roehrig of the Williamsburgh Savings Bank took over as
15280-573: The US nor does it have its own ATMs in the arena. Barclays Center is located next to Atlantic Terminal , which services the Long Island Rail Road 's Atlantic Branch . Barclays Center is also accessible via the New York City Subway , via the 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , B , D , N , Q , R and W trains, which stop at Atlantic Avenue–Barclays Center . MTA Regional Bus Operations service
15471-429: The US, Barclays Center has no dedicated parking lot; however, it is easily accessible by subway , bus , and railroad . To accommodate entry to the facility, the arena's 38,885-square-foot (3,613 m ) entrance plaza features a $ 76 million transit connection hub that serves as the plaza's focal point. The transit structure connects with the refurbished Atlantic Avenue–Barclays Center subway station , whose renovation
15662-492: The United States during the late 1920s. Despite being expanded in 1906 and 1923, the 175 Broadway headquarters was no longer sufficient for the bank's needs by the 1920s. Each savings bank in New York had been limited to one location until 1923, when the state legislature passed a law allowing savings banks to construct branches. In March 1926, the Williamsburgh Savings Bank's Building Committee submitted an application to
15853-401: The Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower occupies the full site. Its massing includes setbacks on the upper stories, clad in brick and architectural terracotta . These setbacks are included to comply with the 1916 Zoning Resolution. For most of the 20th century, the Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower was the only high-rise in the surrounding area. This, along with the fact that the building was near
16044-471: The Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower was originally rented out as offices. To maximize usable space, the architects spaced the superstructure 's columns as far apart as possible. Each story was designed with an area of 2,600 to 11,000 square feet (240 to 1,020 m). The highest office story was floor 29, right below the clock tower. At the time of the Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower's construction, elevators in typical high-rise buildings were clustered around
16235-500: The Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower was the tallest building in Brooklyn until 2009. The Williamsburgh Savings Bank was originally headquartered in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn; its officers decided to construct a new skyscraper headquarters near Downtown Brooklyn in the mid-1920s. The bank occupied the lowest floors when the building opened on April 1, 1929, while the remaining stories were leased as offices. By
16426-552: The acquisition of full ownership of the Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center. With the closing of the transaction, Tsai became NBA Governor of the Nets and its affiliates and Chairman of Barclays Center. Additionally, on September 18, 2019, media and sports executive David Levy was named Chief Executive Officer of the Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center by Joe Tsai. Tsai also purchased the WNBA's New York Liberty in 2019 and relocated
16617-605: The acquisitions in October 1926, and the bank announced the same month that it would open a new headquarters at the site. The bank planned to open a temporary branch at Flatbush and Atlantic Avenues in the meantime. Upon hearing of the plans, the City Savings Bank and the Dime Savings Bank of New York , which operated branches in Downtown Brooklyn, claimed the Williamsburgh Savings Bank was "invading" their territory; they were joined by eight other banks. Despite
16808-580: The agency was committed to seeing the project completed and said "we can now move forward with development." Another potential roadblock to this development resulted from the Appellate Court's negative decision regarding a similar eminent domain case, brought against Columbia University . This landmark case could have given new life to the case being brought by the community group Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn (DDDB). However, on March 1, 2010, Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Abraham Gerges struck down
16999-503: The area from development. However, The New York Times soon found that the area was too expensive for some, and that many in the area were penurious: The poverty stricken condition of the inhabitants residing in the [Fort Greene/Clinton Hill district] of Brooklyn render it almost an unknown land. Focusing on a certain section of the east Brooklyn area defined as "between Flushing and DeKalb Avenues, as far east as Classon Avenue and as far west as Ryerson, extending across Fulton Avenue,"
17190-424: The arena bowl: one for the Nets and one for everyone else. The Nets lighting creates a theater-like effect where the court pops like a stage while the rest of the arena goes dark. Additionally, the Nets basketball court has featured a herringbone pattern since the arena opened in 2012. The basketball courts used for other events at the arena generally does not feature this pattern. Unlike most other urban venues in
17381-511: The arena design, cutting its budget even more. In September 2009 the Becket/SHoP proposal with a projected cost (initially) of $ 800 million (ultimately itself revised to $ 1 billion) was unveiled. Externally, the arena's shape features three articulated bands, with a glass curtain wall covered by a "latticework" composed of 12,000 preweathered steel panels engineered and constructed by ASI Limited/SHoP Construction meant to evoke
17572-508: The arena hosted game 6 of the series, which turned out to be the longest home game in Islanders history. In that game, the Islanders were trailing 1–0 when Tavares scored the game-tying goal with 53.2 seconds left in regulation; he would score the series-clinching goal in double overtime to give the Islanders their first playoff series win since 1993. The Islanders moved to the newly constructed UBS Arena in 2021–22 season. New York State governor Andrew Cuomo announced on February 29, 2020, that
17763-596: The arena hosted the Kellogg's Tour of Gymnastics Champions. In addition to many concerts from various musical acts, the center hosted the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards on August 25, 2013, bringing the show to a New York City borough other than Manhattan for the first time. The 2020 ceremony was supposed to take place in Barclays Center but due to COVID-19 restrictions, the ceremony took place outdoors in New York City instead. The show would later take place there for
17954-537: The arena. The arena is formally owned by the Brooklyn Arena Local Development Corporation, a public entity. It is leased to private entity Brooklyn Events Center, LLC for $ 1.00. Being publicly owned, the financing of the stadium was eligible for tax-exempt bonds, which were issued in 2009 for a total of $ 510,999,996.50. Barclays Center was designed by the architect firm SHoP Architects . Ellerbe Becket/AECOM served as
18145-476: The bank's first annual report showed that it had 158 depositors and $ 15,000 in assets. In 1854, it relocated to its own building across the street. After the American Civil War , the bank's holdings grew considerably, and a new headquarters at 175 Broadway was completed in 1875. The bank had 139,000 depositors and $ 210 million in assets in 1928, making it the fourth-largest savings bank by deposits in
18336-476: The banking hall became an event space. The building's main entrance is through a large arch on Hanson Place. At ground level, the tower is clad with limestone above a granite dado . Above the sixth story, the building is faced in brick with terracotta decoration, and a series of setbacks taper to a clock tower and a domed roof. Inside is an entrance vestibule and lobby with ornately decorated marble and metalwork. The 63-foot-high (19 m) banking room includes
18527-503: The banking room's walls are made of yellow marble, while the remainders of the walls are made of cast stone. On the western wall, there is a decorative fireplace and small arched windows topped by the massive arches. To the south are three round arches from the lobby, with decorative marble columns that support the ladies' lounge. On the northern or rear wall is a mosaic artwork depicting the Williamsburgh Savings Bank, surrounded by landmarks and motifs that represent Brooklyn and its history. It
18718-439: The banking room. The changes consisted of circulation improvements such as the removal of some tellers' windows. At the end of that year, Madison Realty hired Chris DeCrosta to market the space. Further alterations to the banking room's furniture were approved in 2019. The mortgage on the building's retail space was at risk of foreclosure by 2023, and a state judge ruled in January 2024 that the retail space could be sold to pay off
18909-485: The best examples of a racially and economically diverse neighborhood. Commentary in The New York Times referred to the neighborhood as having a "prevailing sense of racial amity that intrigues sociologists and attracts middle-class residents from other parts of the city". GQ describes it as "one of the rare racial mucous membranes in the five boroughs—it's getting white-ified but isn't there yet, and so
19100-430: The borough's residents relied on the clock; one of the clock's maintainers said in 1973 that "if it's a minute off, the people telephone immediately". The building is topped by an octagonal drum, which supports the dome above it. The Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower's Renaissance-style dome was inspired by that atop the bank's 175 Broadway building, which had been designed by George B. Post . Bank officials required that
19291-514: The building could be sold for as much as $ 95 million. That November, the Dermot Company agreed to buy the building. Retired basketball player Magic Johnson and Canyon Capital Realty Advisers were also partners in the sale, which was finalized in May 2005. The sale price was variously reported as $ 71 million and $ 73 million. After the sale, HSBC leased a bank branch at Atlantic Terminal, and
19482-531: The building was 85 percent leased when the office stories officially opened the next month. Four major insurance firms had signed leases in the building by June. Despite the Wall Street Crash later that year, ninety-four percent of the Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower's space was leased before the end of 1929. The Williamsburgh Savings Bank's business grew in subsequent years. By the bank's 85th anniversary in 1936, there were 165,000 depositors from across
19673-425: The building was converted into 179 residential condominiums. The units had a common room with a terrace, as well as a playroom and a shared business center. One example of a larger unit is a three-bedroom apartment with beamed ceilings, wooden floors, and nine windows on two elevations. Some of the penthouse apartments cover a full story, and there is a duplex unit adjacent to the former observation deck. One apartment
19864-414: The building was planned to cost $ 3 million. In addition, P. J. Keogan was hired as the electrical contractor, Almirall & Co. received the heating contract, and Alexander Bryant Company was retained to install plumbing. The Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower's cornerstone was laid on April 9, 1928, and the superstructure was topped out by the end of July 1928. Managing agent R. M. Dinsmore began renting out
20055-565: The building were designated as a city landmark, it could also be added to the National Register of Historic Places and receive tax abatements as a result. The LPC designated the Brooklyn Academy of Music Historic District on September 26, 1978; the district includes the Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower. By the late 20th century, the Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower contained many dentists' offices. The building also housed
20246-409: The building's manager in 1943. During World War II, the building's management instituted a policy in which only the first four floors would remain illuminated during citywide blackout orders. A rehabilitation center serving discharged service members opened within the building toward the end of the war. In the 1950s, the tower's tenants included architect Henry V. Murphy . As Brooklyn's tallest building,
20437-424: The building's remaining dentists had to find new offices. The new owners planned to convert the building to stores and residential condominium apartments while preserving the facade and part of the interior. H. Thomas O'Hara was hired to design the renovation. The Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower was one of several bank buildings in New York City that were partially or fully converted into residential buildings during
20628-496: The building. They consist of two side-by-side 80,000 pounds (36,000 kg) capacity elevators which lower vehicles 35 feet (11 m) below street grade into a loading dock area. Vehicles roll out onto an enormous turntable which rotates them into position opposite one of four loading docks arrayed around the turntable. The building features the mural Diary of Brooklyn by painter José Parlá , which measures 10 feet (3.0 m) wide and 70 feet (21 m) tall. According to Parlá,
20819-411: The ceiling. Within the banking room and its ladies' lounge, mosaics and huge tinted windows contain silhouetted iron cutouts with vignettes of figures such as workers and students. Cox, Nostrand & Gunnison manufactured the banking interiors' lighting fixtures. The entrance vestibule connects the Hanson Place entrance to the south with the lobby to the north. At the center of the Hanson Place elevation
21010-609: The center has hosted a number of college basketball events. Kentucky and Maryland signed multi-year agreements to play games at the arena after competing head-to-head in 2012. The arena hosts three early-season basketball tournaments: Barclays Center Classic , Coaches vs. Cancer Classic , and Legends Classic . The arena has also been an alternative home arena for the LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds men's basketball (now LIU Sharks men's basketball ) team since 2012. The Atlantic 10 Conference announced Barclays Center as
21201-434: The center six bays on Ashland Place are recessed. The 13th floor contains round-arched windows, above which is a horizontal band of terracotta and a setback. Above this story, the massing of the Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower rises in an asymmetrical cruciform shape. Contrasting limestone trim is used to distinguish each setback. At the 26th floor are arched windows, topped by another horizontal band of terracotta, as well as
21392-426: The city as a whole. The incarceration rate of 401 per 100,000 people is lower than that of the city as a whole. The 88th Precinct has a lower crime rate than in the 1990s, with crimes across all categories having decreased by 82.9% between 1990 and 2018. The precinct reported 1 murder, 12 rapes, 100 robberies, 181 felony assaults, 101 burglaries, 402 grand larcenies, and 48 grand larcenies auto in 2018. Fort Greene
21583-578: The citywide average. Fort Greene is home to Brooklyn Technical High School , one of New York City's most competitive public schools, and Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School . Success Academy Charter Schools opened Success Academy Fort Greene in 2013 as an elementary school. There are two public elementary schools serving the area: PS 20, which also serves Clinton Hill, and The Urban Academy of Arts and Letters, open to all students in school district 13. The prestigious Pratt Institute
21774-503: The citywide averages of 24%, 11%, and 28% respectively. In addition, 14% of children are obese, compared to the citywide average of 20%. Eighty-eight percent of residents eat some fruits and vegetables every day, which is slightly higher than the city's average of 87%. In 2018, 86% of residents described their health as "good", "very good", or "excellent", more than the city's average of 78%. For every supermarket in Fort Greene and Brooklyn Heights, there are 12 bodegas . Fort Greene
21965-485: The community. From 2001 to 2011, it was home to a popular bar called Moe's , frequented by journalists, artists, cooks, and people in the entertainment industry. It closed and was replaced by a new bar, controversially called Mo's. In 2015, a group of anonymous artists illicitly installed a 100-pound bust of Edward Snowden , the National Security Agency leaker, atop one of the four columns at
22156-426: The conflict as one that had existed for some time, evidenced perhaps by a letter to the editor of a local Brooklyn paper published prior to the Times profile. The author, a new homeowner, wrote: Perchance there are but few places about more desirable for residences, or more pleasant for our evening walks...(but) on every side filthy shanties are permitted to be erected from which issue all sorts of offensive smells...It
22347-604: The construction of Madison Square Garden 15 years earlier. Fort Greene also showcased two stunning movie theaters, built in the 1920s: the Paramount Theater, which was ultimately incorporated into Long Island University 's Brooklyn campus; and the Brooklyn Fox Theatre at the intersection of Flatbush Avenue and Fulton Street, which was demolished in 1971. Built from 1927 to 1929, the Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower , one of Brooklyn's tallest buildings,
22538-470: The decade before the Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower's completion, four structures had held the record of Brooklyn's tallest building. Eric Nash wrote in 2005 that the building was supposed to compete with Manhattan's skyline both financially and aesthetically. The onset of the Great Depression had led to the cancellation of other high-rise projects nearby. Despite this, Paul Goldberger wrote for
22729-406: The dome be included on the tower; as one of the architects noted: "Dome was required by Bank over our dead protests". The dome was illuminated at night by multicolored lights. At the time of the building's opening, these lights illuminated in a pattern that repeated every four minutes. To accommodate the lighting system, the dome was clad with movable louvers. The Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower has
22920-540: The early 20th century became a significant cultural destination. After the original Brooklyn Academy of Music in Brooklyn Heights burned down in 1903, the current one was built in Fort Greene, and opened in 1908 with a production of Charles Gounod 's Faust featuring Enrico Caruso and Geraldine Farrar . At the time, BAM was the most complexly designed cultural center in Greater New York since
23111-496: The east. The Fort Greene Historic District is listed on the New York State Registry and on the National Register of Historic Places , and is a New York City designated historic district . The neighborhood is named after an American Revolutionary War era fort that was built in 1776 under the supervision of General Nathanael Greene of Rhode Island . General Greene aided General George Washington during
23302-561: The edge of the Prison Ship Martyrs' Monument in Fort Greene Park , using a permanent adhesive. It was removed the same day by Parks Department personnel. Based on data from the 2010 United States Census , the population of Fort Greene was 26,079, a decrease of 2,256 (8.0%) from the 28,335 counted in 2000 . Covering an area of 378.73 acres (153.27 ha), the neighborhood had a population density of 68.9 inhabitants per acre (44,100/sq mi; 17,000/km ). The racial makeup of
23493-594: The executive offices for the Green-Wood Cemetery , as well as the production offices of The Tablet and one story for data-processing equipment for various companies. The Williamsburgh Savings Bank started replacing windows in 1983 after finding that some were severely deteriorated. The bank did not seek the required approval from the LPC, saying it did not want to delay the window replacement. Republic National Bank acquired Williamsburgh Savings Bank and its branches in 1986. Republic announced plans to renovate
23684-484: The faces measure 27 feet (8.2 m) across. This made the clock, at one point, the largest in New York City and among the largest in the world. There are dots in place of numerals, as well as twelve light bulbs behind each clock face. When the clock was first illuminated in 1928, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle claimed the faces could be seen from 30 miles (48 km) away. During the mid-20th century, many of
23875-608: The firm of McKim, Mead, and White , was the world's largest Doric column at 143 feet (44 m) tall, and housed a bronze urn at its apex. Restoration work on the monument was completed in the late 2000s. On April 24, 1888, the Fulton Street Elevated began running from Fulton Ferry to Nostrand Avenue , shortening the commute of Fort Greene residents, while also blocking light and adding street noise to residents facing Fulton Street. Elevated lines also ran along Lafayette Avenue and Myrtle Avenue . Fort Greene in
24066-434: The first residents moved into the building and the clock's hands started operating again. Residential sales peaked in early 2008 before stalling for about six months. Film producer CJ Follini and Noyack Medical Partners purchased the commercial section of the tower that May. The commercial owners held talks with Apple Inc. and Microsoft to open an Apple Store or a Microsoft Store in the space. They had difficulty securing
24257-584: The fort was a star-shaped earthwork that mounted six 18-pound cannons, and was the largest on Long Island . After the American defeat in the Battle of Long Island , George Washington withdrew his troops from the Fort under the cover of darkness, a brilliant move that saved the outnumbered American army from total defeat by the British . Although the fort was repaired in advance of an expected attack on Brooklyn by
24448-411: The head of Mercury , god of commerce; wise owls; and seated lions whose paws protect the bank's lockbox, with the bank's monogram on the lock shaft. Four continents are also represented in the windows' carved grilles. Above the large arches, on floor 2, is a Romanesque -style arcade of smaller round-arched windows separated by polished-granite columns. Floor 2 is topped by a band of corbels , delineating
24639-499: The highest-grossing venue in the US for concerts and family shows, not counting sports events. That statistic was based on ticket sales between November 1, 2012, and May 31, 2013. On February 24, 2015, an ironworker was killed when four joists fell on him as he was helping to install the arena's green roof. Poor reception of the arena's quality as a hockey venue affected the Islanders' average attendance in comparison to Nassau Coliseum, which fell to an NHL low of 12,059 (the arena itself
24830-460: The horrible conditions found there, Walt Whitman called for a park to be constructed and stated in a column in the Eagle, "[as] the inhabitants there are not so wealthy nor so well situated as those on the heights...we have a desire that these, and the generations after them, should have such a place of recreation..." The park idea was soon co-opted by longtime residents to protect the last open space in
25021-702: The host New York Liberty defeated the Indiana Fever 90–87. The arena hosted three games of the 2024 WNBA Finals , in which the Liberty won its first WNBA championship at home following a 67–62 win in Game 5 against the Minnesota Lynx . Due to the upcoming 2024 NBA draft , the Liberty's Commissioner's Cup championship game against the Lynx was moved from Barclays Center to UBS Arena . Since its opening,
25212-408: The image of Brooklyn's brownstones . A 117-by-56-foot (36 by 17 m) oculus extends over a 5,660-square-foot (526 m ) section of the plaza outside of the main arena entrance with an irregularly shaped display screen looping the interior face of the oculus. The arena floor's location below grade allows people in the plaza to view the scoreboard. There are two sports lighting systems inside
25403-461: The intersection of five streets, often resulted in the intensification of wind gusts around the building. Throughout the exterior are carved depictions of objects such as flowers, animals, and a thief. On the lower stories, each elevation of the tower's facade is arranged symmetrically around the axes of the ground-story banking room. At the ground level is a highly polished dado veneered with veined and colored Minnesota granite. The cornerstone has
25594-425: The ladies' lounge and down to the basement lobby have marble walls. The banking room's ceiling is 63 feet (19 m) high. Sources disagree on the size of the banking room, which is oriented north–south. The interior layout includes several spaces that are similar to those found in a church . The room's central nave , for clients and bank officers, was flanked to the east and west by aisles with tellers' desks. At
25785-462: The late 20th century, dentists' offices occupied much of the structure. The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the tower's exterior as a city landmark in 1977 and designated some of the interior spaces in 1996. Through several mergers, the Williamsburgh Savings Bank became part of HSBC Bank USA , which sold the building in 2004. The building's upper stories were converted to luxury condominium apartments from 2005 to 2007, while
25976-500: The lobby, banking room, mechanical systems, and facade in 1988, in advance of the building's 60th anniversary. The project was completed by that September. During the late 1980s, the building was known as One Hanson Place, and local residents unofficially called it the Williamsburgh Tower. An LPC staff member contacted the bank after reading news reports of the renovation project. The staff member found that, while most of
26167-521: The massing to a phallus: the 2010 edition of the AIA Guide to New York City called the dome "New York's most exuberant phallic symbol", and the author Jonathan Ames created a "Most Phallic Building" contest after writing in Slate magazine that the tower was the most phallic building he had ever seen. The tower was supposed to have been the first of a series of skyscrapers near Downtown Brooklyn. In
26358-613: The most attractive streets ( Portland , Oxford , Cumberland , Carlton , and Adelphi ) came from fine Westminster terraces and streets of the early 19th century. By the 1870s, construction in the area had virtually ended, and the area still maintains hundreds of Italianate, Second Empire , Greek Revival , Neo-Grec , Romanesque Revival and Renaissance Revival row houses of virtually original appearance. As Manhattan became more crowded, people of all classes made Fort Greene their home. The unoccupied areas of Myrtle Avenue became an Irish shanty town known as "Young Dublin", In response to
26549-438: The nave and the banking room's north and south ends have cast-stone barrel vaults. The nave's ceiling vault also has a blue-and-gold glass mosaic depicting zodiac symbols and the corresponding mythological figures. The mosaic, created by Angelo Magnanti, is hung from the steel frame. There are chandeliers throughout the room. The terrazzo floor of the basement lobby is laid in a grid pattern. The walls are made of marble, and there
26740-495: The nave's floor features Cosmati-style rectangles in a grid. Within the room are tellers' windows, which include metal grilles decorated with animals and zodiac figures. Originally, the banking room contained a circular information desk supported by multicolored columns. The new accounts area at the southwestern corner and the officers' area to the north were shielded by screens. Also within the banking room were "check tables" with glass surfaces and metal frames. The lowest portions of
26931-456: The neighborhood was 52% White , 20% African American , 0.3% Native American , 11% Asian , 0.0% Pacific Islander , 0.3% from other races , and 3.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12% of the population. The entirety of Community Board 2, which comprises Fort Greene and Brooklyn Heights, had 117,046 inhabitants as of NYC Health 's 2018 Community Health Profile, with an average life expectancy of 80.6 years. This
27122-456: The neighborhood's precise boundaries; more recent residents were more likely to push the northern boundary south toward Myrtle Avenue and the eastern boundary east toward Classon Avenue. Fort Greene is patrolled by the 88th Precinct of the NYPD , located at 298 Classon Avenue. A second precinct building, the 84th Precinct at 301 Gold Street, is physically located in Fort Greene but does not serve
27313-410: The neighborhood. The 88th Precinct ranked 64th safest out of 69 patrol areas for per-capita crime in 2010. This was attributed to a high rate of crimes relative to its low population, especially in the public housing developments in Fort Greene. As of 2018 , with a non-fatal assault rate of 40 per 100,000 people, Fort Greene and Brooklyn Heights' rate of violent crimes per capita is less than that of
27504-528: The new home of the conference's men's basketball tournament beginning in 2013. The Atlantic Coast Conference announced the 2017 and 2018 ACC men's basketball tournament to be hosted at the Barclays Center. This is a break of tradition from being hosted at the "unofficial" home of the tournament at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina where it is usually held. As part of
27695-457: The night before and a post-SummerSlam Raw the next day, resulting in three consecutive nights of sellouts. They would continue annual weekends of SummerSlam events for the next three years with the inclusion of a post-SummerSlam SmackDown Live broadcast to the events. The arena held another weekend of events in April 2019 for WrestleMania 35 . This weekend included NXT TakeOver: New York ,
27886-418: The north end of the banking room, officers worked in a chancel separated from the rest of the space by a low barrier. At the southwestern corner of the banking room, another low barrier delineated the new-accounts area, which had a fireplace. The former mezzanine-level ladies' lounge, above the lobby, has a balustrade overlooking the south end of the banking room. The floors are paved in multicolored marble;
28077-415: The northwest end of the arena, and at least 416 seats were not sold at all due to poor sight lines. As a result of the signing of the lease, the two KHL games scheduled to be played in the arena on January 20 and 21, 2013 between Dynamo Moscow and SKA St. Petersburg were moved back to their teams' home venues. As part of the deal, the management of the Barclays Center took over the business operations of
28268-565: The number of stories. According to the New York City Department of City Planning , the Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower has 41 stories, while Emporis and the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat give a figure of 42 stories. The building measures 512 feet (156 m) tall to its pinnacle. This made it the tallest building in Brooklyn when it was finished, as well as the tallest building geographically on Long Island;
28459-407: The office stories above. Rene Paul Chambellan created many sculptures for the bank's interior. Masonry and metalwork are used extensively inside the bank, including brass, bronze, copper, silver, and both cast and wrought steel. Also present are 22 types of marble, ranging from red to green to purple. Wood was used only for flagpoles in the banking room. Glass mosaic and plaster were used to construct
28650-517: The opposition from these ten banks, New York's superintendent of banks gave the Williamsburgh permission to open a Downtown Brooklyn branch. The approval was contingent on the closure of the temporary branch once the permanent building was finished. Bank officials considered several plans, including one without any rentable space. Ultimately, bank officials decided to construct a 16-story building. The Williamsburgh Savings Bank acquired land from
28841-537: The original plans, saying that they violated two provisions of the 1916 Zoning Resolution . The Brooklyn Daily Eagle wrote that the project could be delayed by six to twelve months if the architects were forced to redesign the building. By August 1927, the William Kennedy Construction Company was excavating the site to lay the foundation. The same firm was awarded the general contract for the new building that December, at which point
29032-414: The painting is all about language; the painting contains words and phrases such as "immigration," "Brooklyn is" and "Big Daddy Kane." The piece was commissioned in 2012 and took six months to complete. On January 18, 2007, it was announced that the arena would be called Barclays Center, after London-based banking group Barclays . It was reported that the banking and financial services company agreed to pay
29223-538: The periphery, open grassy spaces, walking paths, a vine-covered arbor facing a military salute ground, a permanent rostrum for speeches, and two lawns used for croquet and tennis . The park's success prompted the creation of the larger Prospect Park . At the highest point of the park, The Prison Ship Martyrs Monument and vault was erected in 1908 to house the bones of some of the 12,000 Revolutionary soldiers and civilians whose bodies were thrown off British prison ships and later washed ashore. The monument, designed by
29414-474: The project Architect of record . Initial concepts for the area were designed by Frank Gehry , whose design proposed a rooftop park (open only to residents of the Atlantic Yards complex) ringed by an open-air running track and capable of doubling as an ice skating rink in winter with panoramic , year-round views of Manhattan . The famed architect's tallest tower, called Miss Brooklyn at 620 feet,
29605-476: The project's initial designs said, in March 2009, "I don't think it is going to happen," and Ratner at one point explored selling the team. The New York Supreme Court ruled in favor of Ratner on May 16, 2009. Opponents appealed the court decision. A hearing for the appeal was scheduled for October 14, 2009, with a decision to be issued no sooner than November 25. Russian businessman Mikhail Prokhorov agreed to
29796-572: The project, which would be funded by taxpayers, would bring 2,250 units of affordable housing, 10,000 jobs, publicly accessible open space, and would stimulate development within ten years. As of 2018 , four of the fifteen planned buildings had opened, but the deadline was delayed by about 10 years from 2025 to 2035. Fort Greene and Clinton Hill was the focus of The Local, a blog produced by The New York Times in collaboration with CUNY Graduate School of Journalism . It relied on community participation with content written by CUNY students and members of
29987-503: The remaining space was 96 percent occupied in 2002. However, the relatively small dimensions of the tower were not attractive to larger tenants, which preferred buildings with higher ceilings and more widely spaced columns. An executive of a local dental society estimated in 2004 that two dozen dentists remained in the tower. HSBC Bank USA had placed the building for sale by mid-2004; the New York Daily News reported that
30178-426: The rest of both Brooklyn and New York City. Rent burden, or the percentage of residents who have difficulty paying their rent, is 39% in Fort Greene and Brooklyn Heights, lower than the citywide and borough-wide rates of 52% and 51% respectively. Based on this calculation, as of 2018 , Fort Greene and Brooklyn Heights are considered to be high-income relative to the rest of the city and not gentrifying . According to
30369-483: The rest of the Pacific Park Brooklyn complex to follow. However, controversies involving local residents, the use of eminent domain , potential environmental impact, lack of continued public financing, as well as a major economic downturn delayed the project. Due to these legal and financial troubles, the development deal seemed headed towards failure or collapse. Frank Gehry , an architect involved in
30560-611: The return of major league sports to Brooklyn, which had been absent since the departure of the Dodgers to Los Angeles in 1957. Coincidentally, the original proposal for a domed stadium for the Brooklyn Dodgers was just north of the Pacific Park Brooklyn site, where the Atlantic Terminal Mall , also owned by Forest City Ratner Companies, is located. The arena was initially projected to open in 2006, with
30751-592: The right of the Hanson Place arch is the entrance to the Atlantic Avenue–Barclays Center subway station, with a bronze sign reading "Subway". The frames of the large windows are ornately decorated, with half-round mullions . The windows contain tinted cast-glass panes made by the Thomas Jones Decorative Glass Company. Other carved details represent values of thrift. These include beehives; squirrels that store nuts;
30942-409: The same time period. Fort Greene and Brooklyn Heights' rate of elementary school student absenteeism is about equal to the rest of New York City. In Fort Greene and Brooklyn Heights, 20% of elementary school students missed twenty or more days per school year , the same as the citywide average. Additionally, 75% of high school students in Fort Greene and Brooklyn Heights graduate on time, equal to
31133-516: The site was previously owned by the Hanson Place Central United Methodist Church. Although the tower's site is near the subway and LIRR terminal, most business in Brooklyn was centered around Brooklyn Borough Hall , further to the west, before the tower was built. The Williamsburgh Savings Bank was chartered in 1851. The bank was originally housed in the basement of a church in Williamsburg, Brooklyn ;
31324-599: The sky. Gold stars are overlaid onto the ceiling, and globe-shaped lighting fixtures hang from some of the vaults. The western end of the lobby contains a stair to the safe-deposit area in the basement. To the east are the elevators, a staircase to the basement lobby, and a staircase to the former ladies' lounge. There are five sets of elevator doors. The original elevator doors were decorated with representations of seasons, types of arts, classical elements , and skilled workers. The decorative elevator doors have since been replaced with unornamented aluminum doors. The stairways up to
31515-585: The space that year, and the clock atop the building started operating in December. The tower was completed as other structures nearby were being built, including the Brooklyn Paramount Theater , several office buildings, and apartment buildings on Hanson Place. Four hundred people attended a reception for the new bank building on March 28, 1929. At the time, 75 percent of the space had been leased. The banking offices opened on April 1, and
31706-488: The style of the ancient Italian Cosmati family; they are surrounded by marble borders of different colors. Three double metal doors lead to the banking room. Carved figures on these doors represent six types of workers who might open accounts at the bank, while floral decorations represent all twelve months of the year. The lobby walls are made of marble. Segmental arches divide the lobby's ceiling into 11 saucer vaults, which are covered with blue-hued mosaic tiles that represent
31897-490: The system is projected to cost $ 2.7 billion, and the projected opening has been delayed until at least 2029. Notes Further reading Barclays Center Barclays Center ( / ˈ b ɑːr k l i z / BAR -kleez ) is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Brooklyn . The arena is home to the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association and
32088-501: The team $ 400 million over the next 20 years for the naming rights of their Brooklyn home, eclipsing the previous record for naming rights to an American indoor arena, set by Royal Philips Electronics in 1999, for $ 185 million over 20 years for Philips Arena in Atlanta. However, the rights were renegotiated by the end of 2009, and are somewhat more than $ 200 million. Barclays does not have any retail banks in
32279-477: The team to the Barclays Center in 2020. For Liberty games, ticket sales will initially be capped at about 8,000. In July 2021, it was announced that as part of a deal with the Nets and BSE Global, SeatGeek would take over ticketing duties for Barclays Center events beginning with the 2021-22 Brooklyn Nets season , ending the arena's relationship with Ticketmaster and breaking Ticketmaster's monopoly over ticketing for New York's major arenas. In January 2023, it
32470-623: The tower was also used for Good Friday displays, during which some rooms were lit in the pattern of a cross. The clock faces were cleaned extensively in 1957. By the 1960s, the former ladies' lounge next to the banking room was converted into a mailroom. The banking hall also hosted events such as an American Revolutionary War exhibit by the Long Island Historical Society to celebrate the United States Bicentennial in 1976. The observation deck on
32661-403: The transition to the upper stories. Buff brick and terracotta details are used to visually separate the base from the setback upper section. Above floor 2, each elevation of the building's facade is articulated by vertical piers that rise ten stories. Floors 3 through 12 are divided into ten bays along Ashland Place and five bays along Hanson Place. Each bay contains two windows per story;
32852-526: The west, Hanson Place to the south, St. Felix Street to the east, and Lafayette Avenue to the north. The rectangular land lot covers 20,263 square feet (1,882 m), with a frontage of 210 feet (64 m) on Ashland Place and 99 feet (30 m) on Hanson Place. Adjacent to the tower, within the city–designated Brooklyn Academy of Music Historic District, are row houses designed in the Italianate style . The Hanson Place Central United Methodist Church
33043-413: The width of the Hanson Place frontage, has segmental arches that separate it into eleven bays. Above the lobby, a mezzanine with a ladies' lounge overlooks the banking room. The building has a steel superstructure , though this is concealed on the lower stories by cast stonework. The superstructure is arranged around the columns in the banking room; the use of a portal frame enabled the construction of
33234-548: The work of the Underground Railroad . Skilled African-American workers fought for their rights at the Navy Yard during the tumultuous Draft Riots of 1863 against armed hooligan bands. The principal of P.S. 67 in the same year was African American, and Dr. Phillip A. White became the first black member of Brooklyn's Board of Education in 1882. By 1870, more than half of the Black population in Brooklyn lived in Fort Greene, most of them north of Fort Greene Park. In
33425-476: The work was confined to the interior and did not require approval, 906 of the exterior windows had been replaced. The resulting replacement was the largest violation of New York City's landmarks law at the time. The LPC requested that the bank install muntins over the replacement windows to bring them into compliance with the landmarks law. At the end of 1989, the Republic Savings Bank merged with
33616-404: The years, local residents have used the building both as a clock and as a landmark for giving out directions, and the tower has been used as a filming location. The Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower is at One Hanson Place, in the Fort Greene neighborhood of the borough of Brooklyn in New York City . It occupies the southwestern section of a rectangular city block bounded by Ashland Place to
33807-524: Was a Jay-Z concert on September 28, 2012. The arena is owned by the State of New York's Empire State Development authority through a public entity named the Brooklyn Arena Local Development Corporation. It is leased by Brooklyn Event Center LLC, owned by Brooklyn Nets owner Joseph Tsai , with operations (and associated revenue) managed by Tsai's BSE Global. The arena was conceived by Bruce Ratner of real estate developer Forest City Ratner Companies ,
33998-455: Was also part of this plan. Gehry's plans carried a projected cost of $ 1 billion. Forest City Ratner unveiled a scaled-back version of the project in February 2008 reducing Miss Brooklyn's size 40%, and making it 109 feet (33 m) shorter. Another redesign unveiled just over two months later scrapped Miss Brooklyn entirely, and in January 2009, the developer started "value engineering"
34189-452: Was announced that the deal would end earlier than expected and that Ticketmaster would return to handle ticketing for Barclays Center events starting with the 2023 New York Liberty season , as well for events whose tickets went on sale on or after January 14, 2023. Sources later told Billboard that BSE Global ended the deal with SeatGeek after encountering multiple technical issues, which led to lower than expected ticket sales for concerts at
34380-407: Was closed by the late 1970s. Bank officials in 1989 could not recall anyone having ever jumped to their death from the observatory. The topmost section of the Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower is square with large clock faces on each side. Corresponding to floors 30 through 32, the clock faces originally contained bright red neon tubes. The centers of the clock faces are 430 feet (130 m) high, and
34571-419: Was delayed after U.S. Congressman Fred Richmond accused the Williamsburgh Savings Bank of participating in redlining by refusing to give mortgages to residents of poorer neighborhoods. The Board of Estimate finally approved the landmark designation in March 1978, when the bank pledged to allocate $ 10 million for loans and mortgages to Brooklyn residents. The LPC's chairperson, Beverly Moss Spatt , said that if
34762-412: Was designed by New York City firm Stantec. The original plan promised indoor room for bicycles, but the plan was scrapped before the arena's opening with outdoor racks for 400 bicycles, which were eventually taken away. The Empire State Development corporation also promised spots for 550 cars eventually, next to the arena. Because of the constrained site, there are only two truck and bus entrances into
34953-478: Was established as Brooklyn's first park in 1847 on a 30-acre (120,000 m ) plot around the site of the old Fort. In 1864, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux , by now famous for their design of Central Park , were contracted to design the park, and constructed what was described in 1884 as "one of the most central, delightful, and healthful places for recreation that any city can boast." Olmsted and Vaux's elegant design featured flowering chestnut trees along
35144-406: Was hired to market the building, tried to lease the banking room to a Borders bookstore in 2006. That June, the residential condominiums were placed on sale for between $ 350,000 and $ 3.5 million each. The first residents finalized their purchases in 2007, and the clock was re-lit that November following a $ 1 million renovation. Seventy percent of the condominiums had been sold by January 2008, when
35335-637: Was home to a small commuter population, several large farms—the Post Farm, the Spader farm, the Ryerson Farm, and the Jackson farm—and a burial ground. As early as the 1840s the farms' owners began selling off their land in smaller plots for development. Country villas , frame row houses , and the occasional brick row house dotted the countryside, and one of them was home to poet Walt Whitman , editor of
35526-517: Was installed by Ravenna Mosaics and is attributed to "Wagner" of Germany. The north and south walls also contain balustrades with analog clocks. Cast-stone piers separate the aisles from the nave and are topped by carved capitals depicting various figures, which represent "reasons to save". Each pier is four stories high, and there are one-story-high diagonal steel beams behind each capital. Round-arched openings and taller arches rise above each aisle. The side aisles contain barrel-vaulted ceilings, while
35717-522: Was not only a monument to the Williamsburgh Savings Bank but also one of several major commercial developments near Atlantic Terminal. Within a year of the tower's completion, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle said that a business hub had been developed around the LIRR terminal. A New York Times writer characterized the building in 1972 as "possibly America's funniest skyscraper" and likened its interior to an ornate movie set. Christopher Gray of
35908-503: Was opened to the public on September 21, 2012. Barclays Bank agreed to a 20-year naming rights agreement for $ 400 million in 2007. However, two years later, due to the slump in the economy the deal was renegotiated to $ 200 million. The New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL) announced on October 24, 2012, that the franchise would move to Barclays Center in 2015 after the expiration of their lease at
36099-586: Was scheduled to host an NCAA Regional in 2021; however, the NCAA moved all games of the 2021 championship to the Indianapolis area. The arena and the Atlantic 10 will serve as a First and Second Round site for the 2024 NCAA tournament . The New York Islanders moved from Nassau Coliseum to Barclays Center before the 2015–16 NHL season . The Islanders played the first NHL hockey game at Barclays Center in
36290-484: Was supposed to take place on November 1 against now-cross town rivals the New York Knicks , in what was planned to be a historic event; however, the game was canceled by NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg due to mass transportation outages and a shortage of available police caused by Hurricane Sandy . The venue hosted the NBA draft starting with the 2013 event on June 27, 2013 and it has been ever since, except
36481-455: Was used by such events as VH1 Divas and MTV's Hip Hop Honors , and the flea market Brooklyn Flea announced that it would use the banking room during weekends starting in January 2010. The space also hosted holiday parties. Though the building's apartments were heavily marketed, some units remained unsold, leading the developers to reduce prices several times. The remaining unsold units, consisting of six penthouses, were auctioned in May 2011 at
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