The tragedy that is the destruction of two Bronx parks for Yankee Stadium, a corporate entity, continues to make news.
It’s almost inconceivable to fathom that more than 22 acres of parkland in the Bronx and over 400 trees were destroyed for the Yankees to build a new stadium. When their last stadium was built, the team played at Shea Stadium for two seasons. But such is the political climate we live in today in Mayor Bloomberg’s New York that such a thing was not even considered and corporations were given favor over people as well as nature, our parks and public spaces.
Sports writer Ian Begley writes in today’s New York Daily News article, “South Bronx residents cry foul as parks get Yanked for Stadium construction:”
[Community residents] remember when they could just walk over to Macombs Dam Park and play for as long as they pleased. They were never interrupted in the large expanse across the street from Yankee Stadium, which included tennis courts, soccer and baseball fields and a running track.
But the park closed two years ago when workers broke ground for the new Yankee Stadium. …
“Before, it was good because (Macombs Dam Park) was a big field and there was room for everyone,” Villadares said. “This [replacement area] isn’t as big and it’s usually crowded. It’s not the same as the other park.”
South Bronx residents lost 22 acres of parkland, in Macombs Dam and Mullaly Parks, when new Yankee Stadium construction began two years ago.
In accordance with state and federal law, the Parks Department plans to replace the acreage with new recreational sites in the area. But soaring costs, construction delays and what some have described as questionable planning have caused residents to cry foul, castigating city officials and the Yankees for taking away some of the most popular parkland in the community.
See the full article here.