http://www.planNYC.org/ PlanNYC | New York City Planning Information Portal en-us ja3n@earthlink.net http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=26#4190 The New Yankee Stadium Foundation, set up as part of the Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) from the construction of the new Yankee Stadium, has begun to dole out funds to different community groups. The Foundation gave $500 grants to 24 Little League teams in early April and is hopeful to begin giving out money to larger projects and groups. Under the CBA, the Foundation will receive $800,000 in cash and $100,000 in baseball equipment every year for 40 years. The Foundation will also get tickets to Yankees games. 2008-05-06 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=26#4179 Construction at the Mets’ new Citi Field and the new Yankee Stadium has reduced game parking for both teams by about 2,000 spots each. Once the stadium projects are completed, parking for both stadiums will be increased, to 8,500 for the Mets and 9,000 for the Yankees. There are also plans for a new Metro North station at Yankees Stadium, serving the Hudson, Harlem and New Haven lines. 2008-05-03 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=26#4121 The City opened the first Yankee Stadium “redevelopment park” in the South Bronx last Friday as part of the efforts to replace 25 acres of parkland lost due to the new stadium. The new artificial-turf ball field is located on an old asphalt school playground one mile away from existing parks that were taken away. Many residents have expressed frustration about the new park’s distance from their community and that no new open space will be created by the development. 2008-04-21 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=26#3967 Bronx residents complained at a Community Board 4 that they have not yet seen the promised $1 million that is owed as part of the Yankee Stadium community benefits agreement (CBA). The CBA states that the surrounding neighborhoods will get nearly $1 million per year for the next 40 years. A member of the volunteer advisory panel for the agreement stated that the process for distributing the money will begin in April. 2008-03-26 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=26#3927 The Yankees say they will continue with their plan to create 28 acres of new parkland to replace that on which they are building their new stadium, despite a report that costs for the parks have risen by almost 50%. 2008-03-20 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=26#3793 A fund established as part of the Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) agreed to by some Bronx officials and the Yankees almost two years ago is set to begin its work soon. The recently established New Yankee Stadium Community Benefits Fund Inc. is expected to start giving out money and supplies to area Little Leagues and non-profits in April. The Yankees agreed to give $800,000 in cash and $100,000 in baseball equipment as well as tickets for home games every year for the next 40 years to communities in the Bronx in an effort to quell public opposition to a new stadium. 2008-02-19 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=26#3791 According to officials from the Yankees, of the 96 construction contracts awarded for construction of their new stadium, about a third have gone to Bronx companies totaling about $121 million. Some of the contractors that have been hired have said that they buy many of their materials in the Bronx and also have a workforce partially made up with Bronx residents. 2008-02-17 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=26#3790 A meeting between elected officials from the Bronx and officials from the Yankees became heated over community benefits from the new Yankee Stadium. The dispute between the two groups stems from a community benefits agreement (CBA) that was signed two years ago. The CBA required a certain amount of construction jobs go to Bronx residents and the establishment of a community foundation that would dole out money to Bronx non-profit groups. The community foundation advisory board has yet to meet formally. Many of the officials in attendance at the meeting were not the ones that were responsible for brokering the CBA with the Yankees. Those officials in attendance expressed just as much frustration with the leaders that worked out the CBA as they do with the Yankees. 2008-02-15 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=26#3764 Adrian Benepe, Commissioner of the Parks and Recreation Department, says that the Bronx is slated to get new open space and parklands under Mayor Bloomberg’s PlaNYC 2030 plan. According to Benepe, his agency is committed to spending nearly $600 million over the next five years to finish ongoing parks projects and create new community open spaces as well. Benepe also said that development around Yankee Stadium has not compromised any of the parkland for the Bronx and claims that acres of parkland are being lost is factually untrue. He asserts that there will actually be a net increase in 5.28 acres of new park space that will include new baseball fields, basketball and handball courts, other recreational space and waterfront access. Some parks groups, including the NYC Park Advocates, have said that the stadium will provide a net decrease in parkland of about 4 acres. 2008-02-12 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=26#3751 Yankee Officials announced that costs to build a new stadium have risen to $1.3 billion, up from $1 billion estimated last year. One reason for rising costs are the amenities that are being included in the park, including a video conferencing center, luxury suites, party suites, and a new TV screen that will be six times larger than the current screen. The cost estimate also increased because of legal suits the Yankees have endured from community groups concerned with loss of parkland. 2008-02-07 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=26#3682 The organization NYC Parks Advocates is accusing Mayor Bloomberg of not delivering on his promises of replacing the nearly 25.1 acres of parkland that was taken in order to build the new Yankees Stadium. According to the group, about 4 acres of land is not being replaced and what is being replaced is either not adequate space for active recreation or is already designated parkland. The Parks group is also concerned that this area of the Bronx already has higher than average asthma rates. 2008-01-29 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=26#3604 According to the New York Post, the Parks Department donated a piece of land located near Yankee Stadium to real estate developers. Although the city had initially planned to use the space for parking, some activists are concerned that the location will not be used for community open space. The Bronx Borough Board and the Planning Department have confirmed that any new development of this parcel does not need to be fully approved by Bronx elected officials. It is unclear what the land can be used for at this point. 2008-01-14 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=26#3635 Some are questioning what will become of the vast number of parking spaces that are set to be built for the new Yankee Stadium. As Mayor Bloomberg continues to push a congestion pricing plan to limit the amount of cars in Manhattan, some community members are concerned that the parking lots will become park and ride facilities for commuters which they believe will increase traffic and noise pollution while decreasing air quality. Other points remain in question such as who will be allowed to use the lots and what days of the week and times of the day they will be available and at what cost. 2008-01-14 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=26#3573 A year and a half after a community benefits agreement was signed to account for the new Yankee Stadium, the community has yet to see anything tangible from the agreement. The group established to administer the agreement has never met and has not filed as a charity. Also, none of the $1.2 million that the Yankees were required to give a year has been doled out to any community organizations. Some elected officials have said they have been left out of discussions since the agreement was signed. Others involved in the process have said that progress is moving slowly and that the community will get what they are owed. The Stadium is expected to be completed in time for the start of the 2009 baseball season. 2008-01-07 00:00:00 http://www.plannyc.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issues&file=index&catid=1&issueid=26#3565 The Daily News revealed Wednesday that there will be over 600 free parking spaces for the use of the Yankee players, their guests, and public officials at the new Yankee Stadium parking garages being subsidized by taxpayer dollars. Mayor Bloomberg says that this will be taken into account in the decision of the cost of parking for regular fans. 2008-01-03 00:00:00