Barclays to become New York subway stop

by Gill Montia

Story link: Barclays to become New York subway stop

Barclays is to give its name to a New York subway stop, the New York Times (NYT) has reported.

According to the newspaper, The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is in the process of approving a $4 million deal to rename a stop in Downtown Brooklyn, close to the proposed Barclays Center.

The centre, which includes a sports arena, forms part of the Atlantic Yards regeneration project, currently under development.

The name change is scheduled for the opening in 2012 and will be introduced gradually on maps and timetables.

The MTA has apparently been trying to sell the names of subway stations for the past five years and Barclays has submitted the first successful bid.

It involves the developer of the sports stadium site, Forest City Ratner, paying the Authority $200,000 a year for the next 20 years.

Commuters using the stop seem to be more interested in trains arriving on time than the name attached to the platform, according to the NYT.