Barclays Center Will 'Open as Scheduled' Despite Steel Snafu: Ratner

It isn't often that economic troubles in Indiana affect Brownstone Brooklyn.

But that's exactly what happened when ASI Limited, the Indiana-based company responsible for making the weathered steel panels currently being installed on the facade of the , shuttered its factory doors last week.

According to Atlantic Yards Report, which first broke the story on Tuesday, ASI's apparent demise raised questions as to whether the remaining specialty steel would be delivered and how this might affect Barclays Center's .

When contacted Thursday, Forest City Ratner spokesman Joe DePlasco dismissed those concerns, saying, "We do not think [ASI's closure] will aversely affect the timeline, and the arena is still planned to open as scheduled."

Despite Forest City Ratner's assurances, ASI's bankruptcy seems likely to slow down progress on the installation of Barclays Center's distinctive rust-colored exterior, which was to be finished in May, according to AYR.

AYR also stated that ASI's Whitestown, Ind. factory was customized for weatherizing steel—a process not easily replicated elsewhere.

SHoP, the architectural firm responsible for designing Barclays Center's facade, described ASI as having a “custom built 2500’ linear conveyor system designed to accelerate the weathering process.”