On June 11 at 11:30 a.m., the Garden City Chamber of Commerce will being holding its 2014 season finale luncheon at the Garden City Hotel. The luncheon’s keynote speaker will be Bruce Ratner, executive chairman of Forest City Ratner Companies and developer of the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Ratner will speak on the much anticipated redevelopment of the Nassau Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum. With construction to begin in 2015, the building will open in 2016 with an expected schedule to exceed 300 events per year.
Bruce Ratner is the executive chairman of Forest City Ratner Companies, a New York-based real estate development company which he started in 1985. As one of the largest urban real estate developers in the country, Ratner has developed 44 ground-up projects in the New York City area for nearly thirty years.
He is the majority owner and developer of Barclays Center and by making it the home of the Brooklyn Nets, he is recognized for bringing the first major professional sports team to Brooklyn since the Dodgers left in 1957. The arena is part of Ratner’s Atlantic Yards development, which will include 6,400 residential units.
In addition to Barclays Center, Bruce Ratner recently completed several critically-acclaimed buildings including New York by Gehry, a residential apartment building designed by architect Frank Gehry, and The New York Times Building, designed by architect Renzo Piano. His MetroTech Center, an 11-building corporate campus, is occupied by more than 18,000 workers and has often been credited with helping spur the renaissance of downtown Brooklyn.
The season finale luncheon will also include the traditional showcase of various chamber member businesses to begin at 11:30 a.m. and continue throughout the reception/networking period. Luncheon will be served promptly at 12:30 p.m. Early reservations are suggested at $65 per person and may be made by calling the Chamber at 516-746-7724, ext. 101. Checks made payable to the chamber may be mailed or dropped at 230 Seventh St., Garden City, NY 11530. Credit cards will be accepted by telephone of fax at 516-746-7725. The invitation may be downloaded by visiting www.gardencitychamber.org.
