Russian oligarch Mikhail Prokhorov is, developer Bruce Ratner hopes, the guardian angel of Brooklyn's Atlantic Yards megaproject. He also has a LiveJournal. And on this LiveJoural, Russia's richest man updates his followers on his company ONEXIM's potential investment in the New Jersey Nets and the Barclays Center arena at the corner of Fulton and Flatbush Avenues. The update is in Russian, of course, so Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn ran Prokhorov's statement through Google's translator. It's pretty spectacular. Here's a taste:
Commercial terms:
- ONEXIM extend credit to build a new arena in Brooklyn secured a substantial stake in the project.
- Controlling the team the New Jersey goes to the group for a symbolic price.
- Under the deal the group will attract a similar loan to western banks (I think, if successful, the deal will simply unique!). Qualitative criteria:
- Russia will receive an equal place in the elite world of basketball.
- Access to all the modern technologies and training techniques with the ability to use them in Russia.
- Placement of Russia's leading coaches and managers in the NBA.
- Send the best students in the training camps for the NBA.
So the whole deal is a smokescreen for a red takeover of the NBA? Suddenly this Atlantic Yards thing is getting interesting!
· "???-?????? ????" ? ???????? ??????????? ??????????. [LiveJournal]
· Prokhorov Issues Absurd Statement on the Nets and Atlantic Yards, No Matter How Well Translated [DDDB]
· Atlantic Yards coverage [Curbed] UPDATE: DDDB has updated its post with a professional translation, and now ESPN.com is carrying a report on Prokhorov's "takeover bid" of the Nets, leading to what very well may be the first ESPN.com link in Curbed history.
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