From the Daily News:
Major League Soccer — which was in talks with the city to build a $340 million stadium in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, — won’t be coming to Queens, said a local politician.
“The location doesn’t work,” said City Councilman and Queens Borough President candidate Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans), who chairs the Council’s Land Use Committee. “There was no real benefit for Queens residents to site it in that location.”
Comrie, who said he opposes putting the stadium in the park, pointed out there is land available near Yankee Stadium.
Team officials said they are considering various sites all over the city — and Queens is not off the table just yet.
From the Daily News:
Two City Councilmen — who happen to both be running for Queens borough president — are trying to block the plate against a proposed mega-mall next to CitiField.
The lawmakers, Leroy Comrie and Peter Vallone Jr., announced Monday they oppose the current plan, which includes a 1.4-million-square-foot mall and is currently rounding third and headed for home in the city’s land-use review process.
“The community has responded negatively,” Comrie said. “They don’t feel their needs are being kept in the forefront.”
Comrie heads the powerful Council Land Use committee, and said changes may be needed before it gets the Council’s rubber stamp.
The lawmakers will vote on the mall and adjustments to the $3 billion development this fall.
Comrie (D-St. Albans) blasted a “ridiculous” provision that hinges the construction of the affordable housing to connecting ramps to the Van Wyck Expwy.
He said there are “ongoing negotiations.”
Meanwhile, Vallone said the new plan stretches outside of the boundaries of what was originally pitched in 2008.
“That’s not what we approved,” said Vallone (D-Astoria). “You can’t change it after we approve it.”
“It’s an urban renewal plan.” said Katz. “It’s so easy to talk about amending. We have to look at how to make it happen and move it forward.”
Ah, well Katz's reaction is not surprising. Neither is Comrie's. I'm sure this will sail through Comrie's Land Use Committee as soon as some adjustments are made to the plan.
But what happened to Peter Vallone's "it's not parkland" nonsense? He used to be all for this project before he was against it.
In the meantime, Tony Avella has proposed statewide legislation that would likely prevent the alienation of parkland in the future. Michael Simanowitz has agreed to introduce it in the Assembly. Let's see what the Albany tweeders do with it.
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