With plans for a Major League Soccer stadium in Flushing Meadows Corona Park nearing the approvals stage, we figured it was only a matter of time until there was a contentious opposition-filled community meeting. Our prayers were answered last night, as NY1 reported a number of Queens residents would like more input into the planning of the park.
Community concerns cover not just the MLS stadium, but also a 61-acre swath of land the city has allegedly committed to the Wilpons for retail development, as well as a $500M expansion plan for the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
The most rational and constructive of criticisms on the night came from City Councilman Daniel Dromm, who told NY1 "Why don't they just build the stadium in Central Park? That's the question all of us have here. Whenever they want to build something, they don't ever think about putting it in their flagship park in Manhattan." We aren't sure when Major League Soccer acquired Central Park, but congratulations to them! Dromm continued: "Because they always dump on Queens. And this time, I don't think they're going to dump on Queens and be able to get away with it."
Despite MLS's promise to replace occupied park land with new parks acreage nearby, the fact the proposal is entirely funded by the league, and the rather comical point that the stadium is replacing a stagnant pond, there's obviously still work to be done before everyone believes that it is a win-win for Queens.
