As of Thursday, Atlantic Yards is a Go (More Negative Reviews and Protesters Expected)

Back in November, we told you that the seemingly always troubled Atlantic Yards project was still on wobbly legs, with lawsuits threatening to shut down the new home of the New Jersey Nets. But now it looks like another hurdle has been overcome, with the news that Thursday will see an official groundbreaking ceremony to kick the development off. Along with that news came the release of a handful of renderings by Ellerbe Becket and SHoP Architects of both the interior of the new arena, and some of its signage. Said images have gotten people riled up about the poor sightlines and have resulted in pre-construction poor reviews. But those quiet bits of criticism are not likely to compare at all to the yelling the protesters are going to be doing, as those against the Yards plan to also be in attendance for Thursday’s launch event. You’ll recall that the groups, against both the project and also developer Bruce Ratner himself, were out in full force way back in 2008 when Frank Gehry was still working on the building, but now after flying under the radar since the project’s had its high-profile ups and downs, they’re sure to be fired up again and ready to get themselves heard.

Create a social media strategy, launch your campaign, and track the results in our Social Media Marketing Boot Camp starting February 16. The online event and workshop will feature speakers including The Onion‘s Baratunde Thurston (left), Facebook’s Morin Oluwole, and bitly’s Tim Devane. Register now.