Forest City Ratner Cos. is planning a Barclays Center green roof featuring small plants growing on a 130,000-square-foot soil-like cover.
It’s not a new concept — Minneapolis’s Target Center was the first arena to sport a green roof way back in 2009 — and the original plans for Barclay Center did include a green roof, a feature scrapped because of cost. But it’s back now, and Forest City Ratner Cos. say a Barclays Center green roof will both cut down on the noise generated by concerts and be a pleasant amenity for potential lessees of the three apartment towers planned for the complex, according to the Wall Street Journal:
“We wanted to do the amenity for the benefits to the community and the residents that this green roof will bring, rather than having that traditional arena roof,” said Linda Chiarelli, an executive vice president at Forest City.
But the greenery also would help muffle concert music that escapes from the arena, and several people who have discussed the noise issue with Forest City executives said the company is planting the vegetation to help contain the sound. While most Barclays events aren’t noisy, neighbors occasionally complain about concerts that rely heavily on thumping bass sounds.
Chiarelli acknowledged the green roof will reduce sound levels, although she said noise complaints didn’t play a role “in driving the decision.” The roof was still being designed, she said, declining to comment on its cost.
The arena is home to the Brooklyn Nets (NBA) and, beginning with the 2015-2016 season, the NHL’s New York Islanders.
