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Know Your Rights
Source: Make the Road New York
Subject: Housing & Environmental Justice
Type: Event

Our Park Is Not For Sale

Queens officials endorse report
MRNY released the report on Friday with support from State Senators Jose Peralta and Tony Avella, Assemblyman Francisco Moya, Borough Presidential Candidate Melinda Katz, and City Council Members Leroy Comrie, Daniel Dromm, Julissa Ferreras and Peter Vallone, Jr.

 

Flushing Meadows-Corona Park (FMCP), one of New York City’s historic, flagship parks, is under threat from three proposed development projects that would (1) decimate open space, (2) limit community access to the park, (3) hurt local small businesses, and (4) disrupt the park’s natural function as federally classified wetlands.

Sign the petition to tell Mayor Bloomberg to protect the park and ensure any development considers our communities first.

In the waning days of the Bloomberg Administration, corporations are targeting the park as a possible building site for several projects. They are eager to acquire valuable land, at low cost and with generous public subsidies, for their own private gain — however, at the expense of the largely working class, immigrant population of Queens.

On March 8, Make the Road New York and the Fairness Coalition of Queens released our report, “Double Fault,” which examines the first of the proposed projects for FMCP, an expansion of the US Tennis Association’s National Tennis Center including:

  • Construction of a third stadium and renovation of two existing stadiums
  • A new road and 2 new parking garages
  • 170,000 square feet of new retail space
  • A dirty diesel fuel power plant

And all on public park land.

The USTA currently pays minimal rent and zero property tax for use of City land, yet reaps 85% of its $200 million revenue from events held in what is classified as public space. In exchange for taxpayer subsidy of its proposed plan, the USTA promises the project will create local jobs and give back to the community, yet no socioeconomic impact study confirms these claims.

Families, community organizations, small business owners, and members of MRNY are organizing to stop these proposals and ensure that affected communities are part of the decision making process when it comes to their own invaluable park space.

After storms like Hurricane Sandy, we need to ensure more than ever that natural buffers like Flushing Meadows are protected. Join us in signing the petition today!