Thanks to @mediagoon for putting this on my radar. Once again it’s time to talk about 126th Street.
To catch you up – this is not “the Mall.” The Mall would have been built where the current parking lot is, but that of course is NYC Parkland and one cannot build a mall on parkland.
This is where the tire shops are. There is a company that the Wilpons are part of that are doing the development. Remember the Wilpons are Real Estate Guys who happen to own a baseball team, and if you own a baseball team you have easier connections to Elite New York Decision Makers than say @mediagoon might have.
Also on that site we’ve heard everything from public housing, to a soccer stadium for a team that doesn’t exist that wouldn’t play in MLS, to shuttle parking for Delta Airlines.
Let’s see what the EDC says…
The first illustrative scenario would adhere to the original goal of the Special Willets Point District and create a true, high-density, mixed-use district. This illustrative scenario is primarily residential with a range of affordability levels, space for public facilities, local- and neighborhood-serving retail, programmed open space with active and passive uses, and on-site parking.
Interesting.
The second illustrative scenario would reimagine the Special Willets Point District as hub for a new soccer stadium, with seating for up to 25,000 fans. This option would also set aside space for public facilities, programmed open space with active and passive uses, with the remainder of the site set aside for residential with a range of affordability levels. Under this illustrative scenario, parking would be shared with Citi Field. This illustrative scenario would still include local- and neighborhood-serving retail, with larger mid-sized retail options surrounding the stadium that focus on restaurants, retail, and entertainment.
Ah there’s the soccer stadium again. That makes NO sense unless you tell my NYCFC would play there…..but they are owned by the Yankees, and this development is under control of the Wilpons…so there’s that whole dance of egos vs. money.
My guess, and what do I know, is we wind up with something like what is happening in Harrison NJ around Red Bull Arena where we’ll get that Late 2010’s style architecture that has infected Long Island City and Hudson Yards and is going to age TERRIBLY and some “mixed use” condos above some over-priced restaurants giving us all something to do before and after Mets games.
Here’s a decent article on the subject, with full sentences unlike my usual poor attempts at English, and they have a different rendering which includes a soccer stadium across from Citi – I don’t seem to be able to find that image so go look at theirs.
Let me know when any of this actually gets built.
