Looking For Funding, New Uses For Historic Structure
Queens’ top elected official joined the push to renovate a World’s Fair landmark in Flushing Meadows Corona Park last Thursday, Feb. 6.
Borough President Melinda Katz held a walking tour of the New York State Pavillion and announced that her office would work to preserve the ailing structure, which was built for the 1964 World’s Fair and has fallen into disrepair.
“The right direction is to preserve this, to save this for generations to come,” Katz said. “And to make it a useful part of the park and to make sure it doesn’t fall down on people around it.”
In 2009, the state landmarked the pavilion, which was designed by architect Philip Johnson and includes the World’s Fair’s “Tent of Tomorrow” and three towers.
According to a 2013 Parks Department study, full restoration would cost up to $72 million, preserving it would require about $50 million, and demolition would set the city back $14 million.
Katz said she doesn’t want to see the historic structure town down. Several preservationists, park advocates and a handful of officials present echoed her sentiment.
“So, let’s take that $14 million and put it into a useful project so that we can preserve it for the future,” Katz said.
The borough president indicated she would hold monthly or quarterly planning meetings to help steer the structure’s future.
Pavillion supporters said they looked forward to bringing new life to the Pavilion.
“We’re just so excited about this project,” said Roberta Lane of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
But, restoring the structure-even making it safe again-would be no walk in the park.
The steel cabling that once held up the Tent of Tomorrow has rusted and must be replaced, according to Janice Melnick, administrator of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park.
The foundation supporting the tent’s 16 100-foot columns needs work, too. Parks officials said steel foundations would have to be laid to revent the structure from sinking over time.
Buried under several inches of snow, the Texaco map of New York State was not visible Thursday.
The half-acre-large map depicts New York State’s cities, roads and attractions in great detail, but it has fallen into disrepair after years of exposure tot he elements.
Restoring it would be a challenge, parks officials said. The map is composed of more than 550 terrazzo tiles measuring four feet by four feet and weighing more than 400 pounds.
If the pieces were restored, the work would likely have to bo done off-site, Melnick said.
After the fair ended, the pavilion was used as a skating rink and a concert hall that hosted, among others, Led Zeppelin, The Grateful Dead and Fleetwood Mac.
The last major cash infusion the site saw was in 1998, when Mayor Rudolph Giuliani funded a $24,000 renovation lowest tower, according to the Parks Department.
One advocate said the only thing that will save the pavilion is perseverance.
“The desire must continue when we leave here and everybody goes their separate ways,” said Mitch Silverstein, who helped repaint the structure in 2009. “You must have this burning desire to bring the building back-it’s the only thing that’s going to do it.”
