Joe Namath slugs softballs under 59th Street Bridge in 1969. (Photo: NY Daily News)
Manhattan
A DEAL to turn over precious East Side green space to a posh tennis club has some New Yorkers seeing red, according to the New York Daily News.
In the summer months, the Queensboro Oval beneath the Queensboro Bridge has long been enjoyed by Little Leaguers, dog walkers, joggers and cyclists.
Jets legend Joe Namath even swung a softball bat there.
The other eight months of the year, a massive bubble sits on the site - home to the Sutton East Tennis Club. Those eight months quietly became year-round recently - and will put millions into the city's coffers.
"The Parks Department made a behind-closed-door deal in a community that has the least amount of open space," said NYC Park Advocates campaigner Geoffrey Croft.
"They should be ashamed of themselves."
More than 100 park lovers opposed to the tennis deal voiced their anger at last night's meeting of Community Board 8's Subcommittee for Parks and Open Spaces.
Holding signs reading "Save Our Field" and "People Not Profit," opponents lambasted the city for cutting a secret deal with a tennis center that charges fees of as much as $180 an hour - and $800 a week for a kids camp.
Read More:
New York Daily News - February 19, 2010 By Christina Boyle and Kerry Burke
The Real Deal - February 19, 2010
MEDIA ADVISORY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 18, 2010
Media Contact:
Geoffrey Croft
NYC Park Advocates
(212) 987-0565
Parks Department Selling Community's Only Ballfield to Tennis Concessionaire -
Bloomberg Administration Using Our Public Parks as Cash Cows
WHO: Parents, Children, Community Residents, Ballplayers and Park and Open Space advocates trying to save beloved park.
WHAT: Community Board 8 meeting regarding Mayor Bloomberg and Betsy Smith's - head of Concessions and Revenue for the Parks Department - controversial decision to approve a 'behind closed door' deal to extend a tennis concession to 12 months a year. This agreement would displace hundreds of children and community residents by taking away the only ballfield available for miles in order to accommodate a pay-to-play concessionaire who charges the highest rates of any tennis facility on city parkland. The concessionaire plans to charge $ 795 dollars per child, per week for their Summer camp which would displace our children when they have few options. Opponents charge that this park use does NOT constitute a public amenity and is instead a private business being allowed to operate on city parkland! The parks department is increasingly relying on these revenue deals to help make up deficits in the city's general budget. The Parks Department is also trying to renege on a promise made to the community board last month to void the extension. This community has the least amount of park and open space in the entire city.
WHERE: 129 East 79th Street - 4th Floor / Hexter Lounge - Hunter College School of Social Work
WHEN: Thursday, February 18th at 6 PM.
BACKGROUND: For over 40 years, The Queensboro Oval Field, located along York Avenue under the 59th Street Bridge in Manhattan, has been a home to baseball, softball, soccer, schools, leagues, families, joggers, dog walkers and children learning to ride bikes in a beloved public park. It has been and continues to be a vital resource for countless people. It is the only publicly accessible lit, non-asphalt field available for miles. Even though this community has the least amount of park and open space in the entire city, Mayor Bloomberg and Betsy Smith are attempting to displace children and the community by taking away this park.
Ms. Smith's division at the parks department is now in charge of over $110 million in revenue from concessions and lease agreements for parks. The parks department is increasingly relying on these revenue deals to help make up cuts in the city's general budget by turning our public parks into cash cows.
"We have achieved our target for 12 percent savings through our agency's revenue and expense budget, " parks commissioner Adrian Benepe said last year.
It began with a 'for profit' tennis club enclosing the park in a bubble for 6 months of the year. Over the years the private tennis group slowly encroached on this community’s public space and 'the bubble' was eventually expanded to 8 months. Without community consultation or approval, the city recently made a 'behind closed door' deal to extend the tennis concession to 12 months a year. The community is now battling to preserve the remaining 4 months of the year for the people of this community and the city.
NYC Park Advocates Inc. is a non-profit, non-partisan watchdog group dedicated to restoring public funding, improving public parks, increasing public recreation programs, expanding open space and accessibility, and achieving the equitable distribution of these vital services in New York City for all. We are the only non-profit park advocacy group dedicated to all City, State and Federal parkland in New York City. For more information please visit us at nycparkadvocates.org
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Parks for People Not for Profit!
SAVE QUEENSBORO OVAL FIELD!!
Stop Selling Our Public Parkland!
Mayor Bloomberg’s 'Green Campaign' and
Betsy Smith, head of Concessions and Revenue for the Parks Department,
are selling our public open spaces to private businesses.
For over 40 years, The Queensboro Oval Field, located along York Avenue under the 59th Street Bridge in Manhattan, has been a home to baseball, softball, soccer, families, joggers, dog walkers and children learning to ride bikes. It has been and continues to be a vital resource for countless people. It is the only publicly accessible lit, non-asphalt field available for miles. Even though this community has the least amount of park and open space in the entire city, Mayor Bloomberg and Betsy Smith are attempting to displace our children and our community by taking away our park in order to accommodate a pay-to-play concessionaire who charges the highest rates of any tennis facility on city parkland. They plan to charge $ 795 dollars per child, per week for their Summer camp which would displace our children when they have few options. This park use does NOT constitute a public amenity. This is a private business being allowed to operate on city parkland! This is unacceptable. This administration has continually tried to sell our city's public outdoor space by turning them into cash cows.
It began with a 'for profit' tennis club enclosing the park in a bubble for 6 months of the year. Over the years the private tennis group slowly encroached on this community’s public space and 'the bubble' was eventually expanded to 8 months. Without community consultation or approval, the city recently made a 'behind closed door' deal to extend the tennis concession to 12 months a year. We are now in a battle to preserve the remaining 4 months of the year for the people of this community and the city. The Parks Department is also trying to renege on a promise made to the community board last month to void the extension.
• THIS COMMUNITY HAS THE LEAST AMOUNT OF PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE OPEN SPACE IN THE ENTIRE CITY.
• THE TWO NEAREST LIT, NON-ASPHALT, PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE PARKS DEPARTMENT SOFTBALL FIELDS ARE 2.1 AND 3.2 MILES AWAY RESPECTIVELY (Approx. 45-60 minutes away)
• THE TENNIS CLUB CHARGES THE MOST EXPENSIVE RATES ON CITY PARK LAND, UP TO $180/HR, WHICH MOST COMMUNITY MEMBERS CAN’T AFFORD.
• THE PRIVATIZATION OF OUR PUBLIC, OUTDOOR SPACES IS UNCONSCIONABLE.
• COVER A RARE OPEN SPACE WITH A BUBBLE?
WE CAN’T LET THIS HAPPEN! Please attend this public meeting and speak out!
WHEN: Thursday, February 18th at 6 PM
WHERE: 129 East 79th Street - 4th Floor / Hexter Lounge
(The building is actually the Hunter College School of Social Work)
Parks for People Not for Profit: Save Queensboro Oval Field
Is a grass-roots, broad-based public awareness campaign to preserve
Queensboro Field from a Private Concessionaire.
The other eight months of the year, a massive bubble sits on the site - home to the Sutton East Tennis Club. Those eight months quietly became year-round recently - and will put millions into the city's coffers. resource for players
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