When construction for the Barclays Center got underway, local businesses waited with baited breath to see if the newly erected stadium would, in fact, draw hoards of people to an area that has been struggling to meet increasing rent prices. Sadly, for many, this has not been the case.
Sure, the Barclays Center has brought hoards of visitors to the Atlantic Terminal area on game and event nights. But, most of these folks are not sticking around to do business with the local boutiques and eateries. Bars and night life establishments are, quite possibly, the only establishments in the area that have seen a significant increase in revenue since Barclays got going.
Brooklyn newspapers have spoken to businesses like the Flatbush Avenue suit shop owned by A.B Fulani. They all say the same thing. “The Barclays Center has been no good to me. People come here to get drunk for a few hours. They don’t come to buy a shirt and tie.” To add insult to injury, many tenants have been forced to move because rent is rising at an unbelievable rate and parking on game nights is almost impossible.
Overall, the Flatbush area business owners have not hailed this as a lucrative piece of local Brooklyn news.