Yankee Stadium [I] Demolition

[Gary Dunaier]

The reason for the delay is to insure that both teams will have a place to play if their stadiums are not completed on time

Are you saying that if, for some reason or another Citi Field is not ready, the Mets could be playing some of their 2009 home games in the 1923-2008 Yankee Stadium?

[Swoboda4]

If you've paid any attention to the plan for the site you'd know that the residents of the South Bronx lost 10 acres of park land to build the new Stadium and it will be restored to them by demolishing the old one. It's coming down, as soon as is possible (and that would look to be September 22nd the way the Yankees are playing). Now if you'd like to be on YouTube you could try throwing yourself in front of a bulldozer or two, but I don't think you're gonna have a lot of company.

I know all about the parkland and the community. I'm a Met fan, so I don't really care what they do with YS. But I am also a preservationist, and I recognize the cultural and architectural loss the destruction of YS represents. But if Yankee fans don't care, you won't find me in front of any bulldozers. Even Shea is currently superior to YS as it exists today anyway.

[curb my enthusiasm]

Are you saying that if, for some reason or another Citi Field is not ready, the Mets could be playing some of their 2009 home games in the 1923-2008 Yankee Stadium?

Now that would be interesting. Others might say that it would be a travesty if anybody other than the Yankees (and especially the Mets) played the last game in the 23-08 Stadium. But I don't think there's anything to worry about. I keep hearing that Citi Field is well ahead of schedule.

[SparkyL]

If you've paid any attention to the plan for the site you'd know that the residents of the South Bronx lost 10 acres of park land to build the new Stadium and it will be restored to them by demolishing the old one. It's coming down, as soon as is possible (and that would look to be September 22nd the way the Yankees are playing). Now if you'd like to be on YouTube you could try throwing yourself in front of a bulldozer or two, but I don't think you're gonna have a lot of company.

Indeed - by law that parkland has to be replaced by parkland of equal or better value.

[SparkyL]

Oh. And before I turn in for the night, the Yankees DON'T OWN Yankee Stadium. NYC owns YS. The Steinbrenners might want it gone, but the City can do what it wants with it, ultimately. What are the Yankees going to do now that they've built a new place? Move?

The reason I said what I did about the feelings and intensions of the Steinbrenner familiy is because you said "so have the Yankees help set up seed money for a non-profit foundation for the purpose of raising enough capital to have it become self-sufficient"

[Swoboda4]

The reason I said what I did about the feelings and intensions of the Steinbrenner familiy is because you said "so have the Yankees help set up seed money for a non-profit foundation for the purpose of raising enough capital to have it become self-sufficient"

Good point. No money from the Steinbrenners. Laws are malleable.

[J.R.]

Are you saying that if, for some reason or another Citi Field is not ready, the Mets could be playing some of their 2009 home games in the 1923-2008 Yankee Stadium?

I think that could happen if both new YS and Citi are not ready.

[YankeeStadium1923]

I know all about the parkland and the community. I'm a Met fan, so I don't really care what they do with YS. But I am also a preservationist, and I recognize the cultural and architectural loss the destruction of YS represents. But if Yankee fans don't care, you won't find me in front of any bulldozers. Even Shea is currently superior to YS as it exists today anyway.

Spoken like a true Mets fan.....

Shea Stadium was good for 3 things:

The Beatles

The 2000 World Series Trophy

and Billy Joel 2008

Currently superior.....Your in the minority......

[YankeeStadium1923]

Indeed - by law that parkland has to be replaced by parkland of equal or better value.

The Bronx Community is settling for lesser value...But thats okay because the law says it okay!

[Aviator_Frank]

Also, since Yankee Stadium isn't coming down until later . . .

Might be much later. From today's NY Post online:

"State Assemblyman Richard Brodsky of Westchester, whose committee investigates public debt projects, says the Yankees now say that if they don't get another $400 million in public borrowing the club might not be able to finish the stadium."

[SparkyL]

The Bronx Community is settling for lesser value...But thats okay because the law says it okay!

The community sued because they didn't think they were getting anything near current value. And they lost - as far as stopping the project. What they eventually got was the elimination of Heritage Field (which would have preserved the current field, lower box seats, dugouts, clubhouse, etc.) which was replaced by the 3 fields of Heritage Park, which means OYS is 100% gone.

[YankeeStadium1923]

The community sued because they didn't think they were getting anything near current value. And they lost - as far as stopping the project. What they eventually got was the elimination of Heritage Field (which would have preserved the current field, lower box seats, dugouts, clubhouse, etc.) which was replaced by the 3 fields of Heritage Park, which means OYS is 100% gone.

The supposed Heritage Field was a fantasy to appease fans who didn't want to lose Yankee Stadium. The City knew they were going to have to give up that land to comply with the Bronx Community Benefits Agreement and when there was no uproar over the loss of Yankee Stadium it was that much easier.....

I followed all the proceedings leading up to the seizure of parkland to build a new Stadium. Just not interested at the present time in rehashing them.

[Swoboda4]

Spoken like a true Mets fan.....

Shea Stadium was good for 3 things:

The Beatles

The 2000 World Series Trophy

and Billy Joel 2008

Currently superior.....Your in the minority......

You are. "You're".

Being in the minority doesn't make me wrong. If you reread my posts, I have been very supportive, if not outright protective, of YS. The playing field area of YS is far more aesthetically pleasing than Shea, no doubt. But it is hard to objectively argue that the concourses, facilities, parking(before New Shea construction) and concessions of the current YS are more convenient than those of Shea. Shea is a 1964 building, designed to improve all those areas that afflicted the fan experience at parks like the 1923 YS, which many here repeatedly point out is still essentially the same building.

It is can be objectively proven that Shea Stadium has more concourse square footage, more bathrooms, more parking, more entrances and exits, more concession stands, as well as wider and more numerous ramps and escalators than YS does. Stating these facts doesn't make me a "typical Met fan". In fact, those shortcomings of YS probably are the reason why Yankee fans seem ready to part with the current YS II. The new place will be like a visit to Disney World in comparison.

I am simply pointing out that, for all their flaws, Shea Stadium and Yankee Stadium will be missed when they are gone, and we seem to be rushing headlong towards their demise without taking the time to appreciate them while they are still here.

[YankeeStadium1923]

You are. "You're".

Being in the minority doesn't make me wrong. If you reread my posts, I have been very supportive, if not outright protective, of YS. The playing field area of YS is far more aesthetically pleasing than Shea, no doubt. But it is hard to objectively argue that the concourses, facilities, parking(before New Shea construction) and concessions of the current YS are more convenient than those of Shea. Shea is a 1964 building, designed to improve all those areas that afflicted the fan experience at parks like the 1923 YS, which many here repeatedly point out is still essentially the same building.

It is can be objectively proven that Shea Stadium has more concourse square footage, more bathrooms, more parking, more entrances and exits, more concession stands, as well as wider and more numerous ramps and escalators than YS does. Stating these facts doesn't make me a "typical Met fan". In fact, those shortcomings of YS probably are the reason why Yankee fans seem ready to part with the current YS II. The new place will be like a visit to Disney World in comparison.

I am simply pointing out that, for all their flaws, Shea Stadium and Yankee Stadium will be missed when they are gone, and we seem to be rushing headlong towards their demise without taking the time to appreciate them while they are still here.

The biggest problem with the Yankee Stadium concourses is the roll away carts the Yankees choose to place in the corridors of the Upper Deck that prevents the flow of pedestrian traffic.....
Bathrooms lines are the same everywhere....The Meadowlands was built in 1976 and has the same huge lines....I saw the NY Rangers play the Bruins at Northbank Center......Same thing up in Boston....

My last time at Shea was the 2005 Subway Series. I had to park by the Worlds Fair and take a shuttle bus to the Tennis Stadium and walk the rest of the way.
1998 Subway Series walked to a Bodega to get a few beers before the game....
1 hour roundtrip!

The fact is Met fans will enjoy the new park and be closer to the action on the field.
Shea Stadium is a circle....The stands between Home and first..Home and third are miles away.

New Yankee Stadium suppporters are in for a big surprise come opening day 2009...

What did Leon Hess think of the bathrooms at Shea?

[Swoboda4]

The biggest problem with the Yankee Stadium concourses is the roll away carts the Yankees choose to place in the corridors of the Upper Deck that prevents the flow of pedestrian traffic.....
Bathrooms lines are the same everywhere....The Meadowlands was built in 1976 and has the same huge lines....I saw the NY Rangers play the Bruins at Northbank Center......Same thing up in Boston....

My last time at Shea was the 2005 Subway Series. I had to park by the Worlds Fair and take a shuttle bus to the Tennis Stadium and walk the rest of the way.
1998 Subway Series walked to a Bodega to get a few beers before the game....
1 hour roundtrip!

The fact is Met fans will enjoy the new park and be closer to the action on the field.
Shea Stadium is a circle....The stands between Home and first..Home and third are miles away.

New Yankee Stadium suppporters are in for a big surprise come opening day 2009...

What did Leon Hess think of the bathrooms at Shea?

Leon would be pleasantly surprised with the improvements to the Shea water closets in the 24 years since his team left, were he not dead. There are a lot of them though!

Love the bars outside YS, Shea has nothing to compare with Stan's. Glad to hear you lived to tell about your bodega field trip. Many don't.

Shea is a circle! But a nice looking 60's circle.

The parking overflow has been put out to pasture in the Fair grounds for a long time, but an early enough arrival pretty much always got you a nice ground level spot pretty close by.