New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg Wants Rental Dollars Rather Than Trading Land

Written by: Staff on 19th December 2012

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg Wants Rental Dollars Rather Than Trading Land

epa02901956 Fans depart Arthur Ashe Stadium after all matches were cancelled due to rain on the ninth day of the 2011 US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA 06 September 2011. The US Open runs through 11 September 2011. EPA/ANDREW GOMBERT |

Bloomberg wants cash for improvements instead of new parkland New York City’s Michael Bloomberg’s administration has decided that the USTA will not have to replace a 0.68-acre strip of parkland that it is planning on expanding the US Open into because the city would rather have the non-profit compensate it with funds it can use in other green space.

“In the case of USTA, we decided improvements in the park will provide a greater benefit than scrounging for a small parcel someplace else,”

Joshua Laird, the Parks Department’s assistant commissioner for planning and parklands said to Crain’s New York Business. “We like the USTA; we like having the tennis center in Queens. The Open itself is important to the city.”

The Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is already open to the public 11 months a year. The USTA is planning a $500 million expansion of its 42-acre Flushing Meadows complex, which is located in the New York borough of Queens.

However, eliminating parkland away is no easy task and there is long political process ahead: not only does it need local approval, but a bill must go to the state, and eventually be signed by the governor.

The City of New York seems to be pleased as the US Open has become a cash cow for its coffers.

“Over the past 20 years, we’ve paid $35 million in rent to the city,” National Tennis Center COO Danny Zausner said.

“The USTA also says that it does not overcharge for playing time on the US Open courts and noted that and 42% of the people who play on the courts are residents of Queens.

There are some Queens citizen groups that are opposing the expansion, at least for now.

The Queens Congregations United for Action says that the $40 to $66 per hour court rental rate is too much for many, even though it one of the lowest rates in the city.

“We’re a nonprofit entity whose mission is to grow the sport,” Zausner said. “We give away many discounted programs.”

Holly Leicht, executive director of New Yorkers for Parks said that if Bloomberg and the USTA is going to argue that mitigation for the tennis center’s proposed expansion is that the center is open to the public 11 months of the year then the “USTA needs to develop a deeper, ongoing partnership with the surrounding community.”

The public review process for the USTA’s expansion is expected to begin in early 2013 and will take about seven months. The Bloomberg administration is hoping to get City approval by the time the mayor leaves office in January 2014.

©Daily Tennis News

Topics: American tennis news, Michael Bloomberg, New York tennis news, Sports, Tennis, US Open, Usta