Friday, January 19, 2007

Brooklyn Kids Triumph in Barclays Deal

Over the past two years we have been describing the efforts of FCRC to find the right ways to create a partnership with the amateur sports groups in the borough. The creation of The Brooklyn Sports Alliance, our own concept the was adopted by Forest City, was designed to promote amateur sports in the borough and has been doing so over the past year and a half.

The Alliance now has a chance to really make an impact thanks to the just concluded deal with Barclays Bank. As the NY Post reports this morning, "Barclays will invest another $2.5 million over the next few years in partnership with the Nets on a nonprofit organization aimed at assisting Brooklyn's youth."

The "Nets-Barclays Sports Alliance" (it is their money after all) will be doing a number of proactive things on behalf of Brooklyn youth, including the running of sports clinics and the renovation of athletic facilities. We also anticipate that the Alliance will be adopting a number of the educational initiatives that we have been suggesting. All in all, this is becoming even more of a slam dunk for the kids of Brooklyn and is seriously putting some of the critical no-nothings to shame for their opposition to the arena,