Business Leaders Show Support
The expansion of the National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows Corona Park divided union laborers between area residents, who voiced candid concern, at Community Board 9′s Tuesday, Feb. 12, meeting at the Kew Gardens Community Center.
Representatives from the Parks Department and United States Tennis Association (USTA) were on hand to discuss the plan-which is to expand the center’s presence by less than an acre of parkland near the Unisphere -and field questions.
The USTAis requesting 0.68 acre of new public land than what is in its updated 1993 lease, including a road lane in an effort to make walking more accessible.
Board 9, which includes the neighborhoods of Kew Gardens, Ozone Park, Richmond Hill and Woodhaven, won’t be as directly affected by the expansion as other areas, but that did not deter board members from sounding off with apprehension.
Many members said that, though only a relatively small piece of land is in question now, they were concerned that in the future, more will be taken. And the proposedMajor League Soccer stadium near Citi Field, along with a potential shopping mall, increased uneasiness further.
“Somewhere along the line, they’re going to have to put a moratorium on building in Flushing Meadows Park,” said board memberMaria Thomson. “Enough is enough.”
But during the meeting’s public hearing, some local union workers expressed firm approval of the plan.
Their sentiment was echoed by City Council Member Karen Koslowitz, who chairs the City Council’s committee on economic development, and Queens business leaders.
Koslowitz claimed that “The tennis, in the two weeks that it comes to Flushing Meadows Corona Park, grosses more money than any other sports venue, including Madison Square Garden.”
Jack Friedman, executive vice president of the Queens Chamber of Commerce added that the USTA is responsible for about 3,000 hotel room nights and it creates thousands of “good paying” jobs.
Rob MacKay, director of tourism for the Queens Economic Development Corporation, said the annual U.S. Open tennis tournament generates nearly $750 million a year in economic activity for the city and brings 800,000 spectators to Queens.
“What they’re asking for is a small gift and they’ll pay back in droves,” said MacKay.
Regardless of the size of the re- quest, Ed Westley, a member of Community Board 3 and president of the Jackson Heights Beautification group, expressed concern over the elimination of more than 400 trees, traffic congestion and the risk of removing more parkland used by youngsters in the area.
USTA officials stated 10,000 additional tennis fans a day would flock the center when the U.S.Open is in session because of the expansion of seating.
Joshua Laird, assistant commissioner for planning and parkland at the Parks Department, said many of the trees that will be removed for the project may be replanted in other areas of the park.
“But anyone who knows anything about trees, knows that you dont replace mature trees with new trees,” argued Westley.
Several people have spoken out about an alleged promise the USTA had made in the 1990s to not expand onto more parkland, including Geoffrey Croft of NYC Parks Advocates, who mentioned it during the meeting.
“And well, here we are today,” Croft quipped.
Board 9 member Alex Blenkinsopp asked the representatives about the promise during the meeting but the response given was basically that they did not know if one was made.
The lack of an answer was not a good sign, according to Blenkinsopp, who believes the USTA should be held accountable if, in fact, such a promise was made.
“There’s a difference between a park and a tennis center. It’s a good thing we have both in Queens but it becomes a problem if one tries to continually dominate the other,” said Blenkinsopp during a phone interview. “The community should have a clear sense of what to expect.”
Board 9 will vote next month on the proposal.
Other news
Board 9 unanimously approved a speed bump along Abington Road in Kew Gardens. The bump will be placed at the discretion of the NYC Department of Transportation somewhere along Abington Road between Lefferts Boulevard and Brevoort Street.
The board also approved the annual Wonderful Woodhaven Street Fair, which will be held on Oct. 20.
Community Board 9 generally meets on the second Tuesday of the month in the confines of its district. For more information, call their district office at 1-718-286-2686.
