An update on the Iron Triangle development efforts:
On Monday, the plan to rebuild Willets Point (across from the new Citi Field) entered the Uniform Land Use Review Process.
What does that mean? According to the Gotham Gazette at this stage the plan: “would go before community boards, the Queens borough president’s office, the City Planning Commission and eventually the City Council.”
However, this week Councilmember Hiram Monserrate and 28 other councilmen published a letter which essentially condemns the plan unless their longstanding complaints and questions about the project are addressed.
According to the Village Voice, Monserrate wrote the plan has “no chance of surviving the public review process…
The plan provides no guarantees that the displaced workers and small businesses will be treated fairly or compensated with meaningful benefits to the surrounding communities such as housing affordable to the average family.”
The the Willets Point Industry and Realty Association, which represents all the businesses in the Iron Triangle, has also filed a lawsuit against the city.
Last September, we made a little photo essay of the subway ramp from the 7–train down to Shea Stadium. We knew the ramp was coming down as part of the off-season construction. Here is what the ramp looked like back in September 2007:
Not seeing the familiar ramp on Opening Day was a bit disconcerting. Here is what it looks like now when you leave the subway and head out the doors to Shea Stadium:
And here is the view from outside the new “ramp:“
The most odd view is this one, when you’re looking out from Shea Stadium towards the subways:
Instead of a human river flowing down towards Shea, you now see ants marching out from under a canopy. Someone mentioned this might be a temporary structure. I presume that must be true because the current solution looks pretty goofy.
LOGE 13 AT SHEA STADIUM OPENING DAY 2008
Last Opening Day At Shea Stadium
Citi Field Update, Subway Side, April 8, 2008
Citi Field Update: New Subway Ramp
Shea Stadium: Opening Day Ceremonies 2008
Strawberry: Shea Stadium Opening Day 2008
I As I said in a previous post, the Met game was lousy Opening Day, but Citi Field looks impressive.
I walked around the new ballpark today and took some photos for Loge13. Here is how the rotunda is shaping up:
The side of Citi Field facing the subway is the most complete:
Those giant arched windows along the side are probably the most memorable part of the facade. Here is a close-up:
Along the back of the stadium – facing the Iron Triangle – there is a small crack in the fence through which you can see into the future center field.
More photos coming…
LOGE 13 AT SHEA STADIUM OPENING DAY 2008
Last Opening Day At Shea Stadium
Citi Field Update, Subway Side, April 8, 2008
Citi Field Update: New Subway Ramp
Shea Stadium: Opening Day Ceremonies 2008
Strawberry: Shea Stadium Opening Day 2008
On Monday, the Mets and CitiGroup unveiled the official logo for Citi Field. here ‘tis:
According to the press release:
Combining the colors of Citi -- a global financial services company that is the stadium's namesake sponsor -- with those of the Mets, the new logo is the most tangible bit of marketing for the stadium to date.
"With the unveiling of the Citi Field logo and the construction of our new home, we are one step closer to bringing the dream of a new home for Mets fans to reality," Mets COO Jeff Wilpon said in a statement. "This marks the start to the official countdown to our April 2009 opening of Citi Field."
Wilpon, along with general manager Omar Minaya, manager Willie Randolph and several Mets players, helped unveil the logo on Monday at Citi Field Practice Field, a diamond built at the team's Spring Training complex with the new park's exact dimensions in mind.
The logo features Citi's own globally recognized emblem enclosed in a royal-blue diamond. Extending from one side of the diamond is an orange banner with the word "field," written in a font reminiscent of that used at the old Ebbets Field in Brooklyn. The former home of the Brooklyn Dodgers was in many ways an inspiration for the new stadium's design.
The Citi Field logo will be featured on the stadium's exterior, as well as on the scoreboard, inside the park, and in all Mets marketing materials and publications.
"Today is a great moment for Citi and the Mets, as we unveil a key piece of our historic landmark partnership," Citi vice chairman Lew Kaden said in a statement. "The new logo represents our joint commitment to bringing baseball fans a world-class ballpark in the financial capital of the world. We are thrilled with our partnership with the Mets and excited about Citi Field."
The new logo does look better than the proposed artist’s rendering conceived last November when Citigroup was forced to sell a 4.9% stake of itself to the Abu Dhabi government to cover its losses due to the subprime meltdown:
LoHud Mets blog has some great video of the press tour of Citi Field Monday. You can see the clip here.
Also, Matthew Cerrone from MetsBlog.com was at the media tour and reported this re: the fate of mini-plan holders:
People who are currently have full season ticket plans for this year at Shea Stadium will get first priority to buy season tickets for Citi Field. The team has yet to make a decision on what will happen to people who have partial season-ticket plans at Shea, with regards to Citi, though they are hoping to make an announcement soon.
I was just on the phone with the Mets ticket office this morning. The rep said he thinks an announcement on a plan for partial plan holders could come right after Opening Day. That’s the best news I’ve heard in a bit. Stay tuned…
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Comments
Comments
Wilpon addressed the 12K less seats in CitiField during that video clip. He said those extra seats only get filled 10x a year. If that were true, then in theory the Mets should be able to accommodate all plans - full and partial. But I think you're right and they will whack plans.
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Nice pictures! Citi Field is going to be a real gem.