Fahgeddaboudit!
The Democratic National Committee announced today that Brooklyn, along with Columbus, Ohio and Philadelphia are finalists to hold the 2016 Democratic National Convention.
If the borough of Kings gets the convention it will be held at the Barclays Center at the Atlantic/Flatbush avenues intersection ontop of Brooklyn’s largest transit hub with 11 subway lines.
“We’re thrilled to move to the next step of the selection process to determine where Democrats will come together to nominate the 45th president of the United States,” Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz told reporters. “We are fortunate to have such a diverse and vibrant group of cities interested in hosting this special event, and we thank Phoenix and Birmingham for showcasing their special communities.”
Committee officials are expected to to announce the winning city early next year, and that the convention will be held either the week of July 18, July 25 or Aug. 22.
Last week, de Blasio announced the city had already raised $10 million of the $100 million it is expected to cost to bring it to his home borough. He also convened a meeting at city hall today with elected officials and civic leaders to tighten up the plan to bring the convention here.
After the announcement was Mayor de Blasio called into City Hall elected officials and civic leaders to thank them for their enthusiasm and energy for getting the city to the final selection process.
But de Blasio saved his biggest enthusiasm was for his home borough of Brooklyn.
The story of Brooklyn, the meaning of Brooklyn, the personality of Brooklyn means so much. It sends a message about where we all need to go. And this is so powerful. You know, we see Brooklyn’s story as America’s story – a story of possibility, of hope, of diversity, of a new start – something that Brooklyn provided for generations upon generations. So Brooklyn matters, because Brooklyn has shown the way – this amazing renaissance over the last few decades, a place that was often the underdog now the envy of the world,” said de Blasio.
The four-day convention is expected to draw some 35,000 people from across the nation and generate hundreds of millions of dollars for local businesses – a point not lost on Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Carlo A. Scissura.
“Hosting the convention would not only be a great honor, but it would also provide a tremendous boost to our business community. With Mayor Bill de Blasio being from Brooklyn, our borough has clearly become a Democratic stronghold in New York and the United States as a whole, and we fully expect the Democratic nominee to be from New York as well,
” said Scissura.
“Brooklyn’s diversity makes us the perfect host city, as we truly are a melting pot of Democrats from across the nation and the world. Brooklyn is one of the coolest places on the planet – and we’ve never been better – and the Barclays Center is the best arena in the country, so if the Democratic National Committee wants to have the greatest convention they’ve ever had, there’s no doubt that it should be held right here in Brooklyn,” he added.
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The four-day convention is expected to draw some 35,000 people from across the nation and generate hundreds of millions of dollars for local businesses.
Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce
