Officials break ground for NJ Nets' Brooklyn arena
The Associated PressOfficials have broken ground on a New York City development project including a $1 billion arena for the New Jersey Nets basketball team amid hollers and whistles of the project's opponents.
Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz calls Thursday a "great day for Brooklyn."
Markowitz joined Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Gov. David Paterson and hundreds of others for a celebration of the launch of the $4.9 billion, 22-acre Atlantic Yards project.
The project has been delayed by lawsuits filed by residents fighting the use of eminent domain.
The basketball arena is supposed to open in 2012.
Supporters have lauded what they say will be the positive economic impact of the project. Paterson says it will create 16,000 construction jobs and 5,500 permanent jobs.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
NEW YORK (AP) — Opponents of the massive Atlantic Yards development project in Brooklyn are protesting the official groundbreaking ceremony.
They held a mock funeral Thursday "to bury the soul of Brooklyn." The event took place in front of a bar that is scheduled to be demolished to make way for the development.
The project has been delayed by lawsuits filed by residents fighting the use of eminent domain for the $4.9 billion, 22-acre project, which includes a $1 billion arena for the New Jersey Nets. It was originally supposed to be open for the current NBA season. The arena is now scheduled to open sometime in 2012.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Gov. David Paterson and developer Bruce Ratner are among officials scheduled to attend the groundbreaking Thursday afternoon.