Sunday, March 3, 2013

No respect for Flushing Meadows

From the Queens Chronicle:

We’re tired of Flushing Meadows Corona Park being the Rodney Dangerfield of the city’s crown jewel green spaces. Why do we in Queens get no respect?

For weeks we’ve been covering Major League Soccer’s plan to eat up about a dozen acres of the old fairgrounds for a new stadium. Even leaving aside the myriad logistical, environmental and economic problems with the very vague plan, we’ve concluded that simply proposing it is offensive because Flushing Meadows is a public park —one that’s already suffered enough through city neglect.

Note that one selling point for the stadium is that MLS would refurbish the soccer fields in the park if its plan is approved. That should be a city function. But it’s no surprise that the city isn’t doing its municipal duty at FMCP. Though it’s far larger than the city’s true crown jewel, Central Park, the latter gets much more funding and much more staffing.

Underappreciated by the power brokers, the cocktail hour class and even our elected officials, yes. But not by the working-class and poor people, many of them immigrants, who live in the neighborhoods surrounding FMCP. Yes, the fact that they litter and tend to damage trees when they dump hot coals out of their barbecue grills is an affront — but one that better code enforcement could put a damper on. Still, the people who come to the park for a break from the concrete and steel of their neighborhoods love the place. Look at how adamantly many of them oppose the MLS plan —not to mention the much smaller, much more reasonable, much more feasible bid by the United States Tennis Association to take just another two-thirds of an acre.

While Central Park’s amenities are kept pristine, our Queens landmarks in Flushing Meadows, such as the New York State Pavilion, continue to deteriorate as if this was still the crumbling New York City of 1977. Meanwhile, the city plans to spend $4.5 million to turn the old Astoria Pool diving well into an amphitheater, in one of the more overpriced, harebrained schemes we’ve heard of late. How much plain old park maintenance would that money buy at FMCP?

As this page has said before, it’s City Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras who holds the key to saving the park from the MLS plan. If she says no, the rest of the Council will fall in line and that will be that. She’s been noncomittal, and never said a word to us about laying the future of the park at her feet. We again urge you to urge Ferreras to reject the soccer stadium. And now we take it a step further: Demand that she and the rest of our City Council delegation start treating our park the way it should be treated. Fix the soccer fields. Restore the historic structures. Maybe even landmark the park, as state Sen. Tony Avella is asking — the first person ever to do so, according to the city (Prospect Park was landmarked in 1973, Central Park in 1974). And above all, pledge that the long period of neglect at FMCP is over.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think you should ask Vallone about this time and time again - don't worry - their brand doesn't ever sit well outside their little bubble.

The pool plan is simply insane - only a faction of the seats actually face the tiny stage that is only a few feet and a low fence away from the largest public swimming pool in the city. Seating if for a few hundred. Most seats will not be facing the front but be facing the ends of the stage. It features a 3 story diving platform in center stage. No place for scenery or backstage. It is simply an open space. It will be paved with bricks making it impossible to dance on without platforms. No restrooms. No food. Nothing over the stage or audience - not even a tarp to protect from the weather. Usable only for a few months in summer (when its not raining and the pool is closed.)

The cost is $4,000,000.00! and counting. Its a joke. Nowhere is there a stage built like this. No where on earth!

Press Peter on this and ask him why this should go through while no money is found for your community's park. 400% cost overrun too and it still will not be finished.

As a matter of fact, how about some letters to the editor to all those papers that lauded it last week. Is this what we can expect if he is running the borough?!?!?

Stop Pete From Becoming Beep!

Anonymous said...

It looks like Estelle Cooper really did her job well.

Alen said...

are they ever going to demolish that junkyard left over from the world's fair?

Anonymous said...

are they ever going to demolish that junkyard left over from the world's fair?

SURE THEY ARE USING IT TO FILL THE DIVE POOL IN ASTORIA PARK - SEE THERE IS A MASTER PLAN AFTERALL!

Jon Torodash said...

You'd think with Bloomberg's craze to make NYC a greater technology hub, that he'd welcome the landmarking of a piece of Queens history that celebrated Futurism.

Anonymous said...

Alen said...
are they ever going to demolish that junkyard left over from the world's fair?
------------------------------------------------------------
Looks like someone's trollin' on Queens Crap.

Anonymous said...

For weeks we’ve been covering Major League Soccer’s plan to eat up about a dozen acres of the old fairgrounds for a new stadium. Even leaving aside the myriad logistical, environmental and economic problems with the very vague plan, we’ve concluded that simply proposing it is offensive because Flushing Meadows is a public park —one that’s already suffered enough through city neglect.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
While strolling on Queens Crap today
On this chilly chilly March Sunday
Fearing Flushing Meadows' demise
By a group with suspicious ties
In a moment my poor park was stole away

Anonymous said...

Those "junk yard" folks defeated the "undefeatable" king of corruption, Donald Manes...and he was no pussy!

They'll put "granny" Shulman and her cohorts in their place. Shulman won't see the land grab completed.

Speaking of trolls, it looks like the MLS stadium folks are very busy trolling here.

It ain't gonna help you. Wanna bet your stadium never gets built?

Anonymous said...

The 64-65 Worlds Fair structures should be landmarked and restored. Enforcement in the park needs to be accomplished!