How Would Brooklyn Velodrome Fare If They Called It an 'Arena?'

Site of proposed Fieldhouse on Furman Street  Photo: BBPC

Changing the name of the "Velodrome" proposed for Brooklyn Bridge Park to the "Fieldhouse" changes the way we perceive the structure.

* A Velodrome is an arena used for racing specialized bikes on a steeply banked track.

* A Fieldhouse is an arena mostly used for college basketball, volleyball, or ice hockey. (Wikipedia)

What has been proposed for Brooklyn Bridge Park is not a Fieldhouse, it is a Velodrome. (You can do other stuff in the infield, but that is an afterthought.)

Now just for fun, picture the same structure named the "Arena."

According to Wikipedia:

* "An arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events . . . It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the lowest point, allowing for maximum visibility. Usually, an arena is designed to accommodate a fairly large number of spectators."

The Brooklyn Bridge Park Arena would be small as arenas go. It would be nowhere as big as the huge Barclay's Center, plotzed like a giant aircraft carrier in the middle of Downtown Brooklyn.

Projected to seat 2,500 spectators, the Brooklyn Bridge Park Arena would be slightly more than half the size of the Four Seasons Arena in Montana (capacity 4,895), and roughly two-thirds the size of Nebraska's FirsTier Event Center (with a capacity of approx. 4,000). (Wikipedia)

But in comparison to the available land, the new arena would be honking huge. The proposal calls for a 200 meter track. Here are some photos of a 200-meter velodrome.

To sum: The Brooklyn Bridge Park board is considering siting an arena seating 2,500 spectators in the park.

Velodrome, Fieldhouse or Arena. Is it the right structure for Brooklyn Bridge Park?

Previous posts:
- Brooklyn Bridge Park Advisor Denies Velodrome Conflict of Interest Charges
- Brooklyn Bridge Park Fieldhouse: Is Velodrome Racing a 'Quaint, Obscure, Bizarre' Sport?
- Did You Miss the Fieldhouse Forum?
- Brooklyn Bridge Park Fieldhouse /Velodrome Forums
- Who IS This Guy Who Donated $40 Million To Brooklyn Bridge Park?

Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.

Brooklyn Bridge Park Advisor Denies Velodrome Conflict of Interest Charges

Site of future Fieldhouse on Furman Street  Photo: BBPC

Was someone orchestrating the proposal to site Joshua Rechnitz's $40 million fieldhouse / velodrome into Brooklyn Bridge Park?

Kate Collignon, a connected former member of the Brooklyn Bridge Park Community Advisory Council (CAC) told the Brooklyn Eagle she did not exploit her position to steer the controversial indoor competitive cycling racetrack to the park, an accusation reported by the Brooklyn Paper.

Collignon resigned from the CAC two months ago -- and suddenly popped up working for HR&A Advisors, the consulting firm working for the velodrome's wealthy backer, Rechnitz.

Collognon has also worked for the city’s Economic Development Corporation in charge of planning and development at Brooklyn Bridge Park.

Collignon and her supporters say she had no input into the velodrome while on the advisory council (the CAC never voted on the proposal), but some of her fellow CAC members think there is at least the appearance of back-scratching.

One insider told the Eagle, “There’s a big revolving door between certain private firms and the Mayor’s Office. Clearly the Mayor’s Office wanted her as a ringer. She doesn’t live anywhere near the park.”

Velodrome skeptics — including Peter Flemming, co-chair of the Brooklyn Bridge Park Community Council — told the Eagle last week that the proposed fieldhouse/ velodrome is a stadium for a marginal sport masquerading as a community recreation center.

He told the same thing to the New York Times when they picked up on the story yesterday.

Previous posts:
- Brooklyn Bridge Park Fieldhouse: Is Velodrome Racing a 'Quaint, Obscure, Bizarre' Sport?
- Did You Miss the Fieldhouse Forum?
- Brooklyn Bridge Park Fieldhouse /Velodrome Forums
- Who IS This Guy Who Donated $40 Million To Brooklyn Bridge Park?


Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.

Brooklyn Bridge Park Fieldhouse: Is Velodrome Racing a 'Quaint, Obscure, Bizarre' Sport?

Site of future Fieldhouse on Furman Street  Photo: BBPC

Many Brooklyn residents have attended the information forums about the $40 million, 2,499-seat Fieldhouse/ Velodrome proposed for Brooklyn Bridge Park. The Fieldhouse has been described as a community recreation center, with an indoor bike riding track as its centerpiece.

But it's not as simple as that, skeptics say. Peter Flemming, co-chair of the Brooklyn Bridge Park Community Council and a member of the Citizens Advisory Committee of the Park Corporation told the Brooklyn Eagle that the Fieldhouse is actually a "specialized velodrome masquerading as a community recreation center — and it doesn’t belong in Brooklyn Bridge Park."

It seems that competitive track racing is not what most people think of as bicycle racing. Competitors ride special fixed-gear bikes without brakes, and must travel at least 16 miles an hour to avoid tipping over on curves that bank 45 degrees or more.

"Why help the city build a huge stadium — one of only two in the country — in a tiny waterfront park for this quaint, obscure, bizarre sport?” Flemming asks.

Greg Brooks, executive director of New York City Fieldhouse Inc., argues that the entire community will make use of the facility, and says it will save Brooklyn Bridge Park a ton of money. Read what he has to say here.

Previously:

- Did You Miss the Fieldhouse Forum?
- Who IS This Guy Who Donated $40 Million To Brooklyn Bridge Park?
- Willowtowners Fear Traffic Nightmares From Fieldhouse Crowds BHB


Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.

Did You Miss the Fieldhouse Forum? Another One Coming to Vinegar Hill on July 11

Site of future Fieldhouse on Furman Street  Photo: BBPC

NYC Fieldhouse, the group offering to underwrite a $40 million recreational and cycling facility (Velodrome) in Brooklyn Bridge Park near Pier 5, will be holding a fourth community forum to discuss the project.

This latest forum will take place on Wednesday, July 11 in the cafeteria at P.S. 307, located at 209 York Street in Vinegar Hill / DUMBO, from 6:30-8:15 p.m.

Fieldhouse staff, along with the facility’s architect and representatives of Brooklyn Bridge Park, will be on hand to discuss the project and listen to the community’s comments on programming and overall design.

The proposed facility will be located on Furman Street at a site now occupied by an old one-story warehouse building used by the park for storage and construction (shown above)

The Fieldhouse is envisioned to include a 200-meter inclined track for cycling and a 22,000 sq. ft. infield for high school, collegiate or professional sporting events (basketball, tennis, track, etc.). It also includes amenities such as a public boathouse, public restrooms, and maintenance and operations space for BBPC.

To date, Fieldhouse staff have conducted three forums – one at Long Island College Hospital in Cobble Hill, the second at South Brooklyn Community High School in Red Hook, and the third at St. Francis College in Brooklyn Heights.

While no RSVP is required, for planning purposes, members of the community are requested to email NYCFieldhouse@gmail.com

More about Rechnitz and NYC Fieldhouse here.

Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.