More than 14 years ago, East Harlem residents took a garbage-strewn abandoned lot and turned it into a Field of Dreams for the neighborhood’s kids. Ever since then, the 350 youngsters of the East Harlem Little League have proudly gathered each Opening Day in their sparkling new uniforms on the steps of St. Cecilia’s Church. There, they receive a blessing from a church priest, then they parade with their beaming parents and coaches to their home field on E. 112th St. between Madison and Park Aves. to play ball.True, the field’s outfield grass is rutted with craters and sinkholes that need constant refilling, and the dugouts are makeshift in construction, but it has been their very own field – and theirs is the only official Little League in the area.Then City Hall dashed their dreams.
It stunned the Little Leaguers and their parents last year by evicting them from the ballfield and putting it under padlock.And now, weeks before the start of a new season, the East Harlem Little League is homeless.
“Parents were angry and upset and the kids were disappointed,” Resto said. In desperation, he eventually cut the city’s padlock and restarted some games on the old Field of Dreams.This year, with Little League registration already in process, Resto has no idea where his kids will be playing come April. He is angry that several adult after-work leagues from downtown have permits at East Harlem’s Jefferson Park while his kids can’t get a designated home field. Officials at HPD and the Parks Department have not returned his calls for weeks, Resto said.”We are currently working with them to address their needs for additional fields,” Parks spokesman Johnston said.As for the city’s development deal for the 112th St. site, HPD spokesman Neil Coleman said yesterday his agency hasn’t even approved a deal with a prospective builder.Yet the Field of Dreams remains officially closed to the community that built it.
Read the whole article – New York Daily News
Related: East Harlem Little League
NAT
February 16, 2007
Pay-to-play plan is OK’d
BY FRANK LOMBARDI
DAILY NEWS CITY HALL BUREAU
A controversial deal to let a group of tony private schools pay to use most of the public ball fields on Randalls Island earned final approval from a city panel yesterday.
The Franchise and Concession Review Committee voted 5-1 to okay the plan, which includes fixing up existing fields and putting in new ones.
Approval had been expected, given that four of the six votes on the panel are cast by mayoral representatives and the Bloomberg administration backed the plan.
But joining the mayoral members yesterday was a representative of Controller Bill Thompson, who had initially objected.
The controller’s representative said Thompson changed his mind after significant changes were made in the ball-field development plan and exclusive-use arrangements two weeks ago. The private schools will now get to use 66% of the fields instead of 80%.
Casting a no vote on behalf of the five borough presidents – who share one vote – was Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, who denounced the deal as “a land grab.”
“We are privatizing this space,” said Stringer. “We are creating a time-share, and for the best hours.”
Under the franchise agreement, the city will rebuild the current 36 rundown ball fields and build up to 29 new ones, all on city parkland. The project will cost an estimated $72.4 million – with $20 million coming from the city and $52.4 million from 20 participating private schools, paid over 20 years.
In return for their $2.6 million a year, the private schools will get exclusive use of 42 of the 65 ball fields between the prime hours of 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays, for 20 weeks a year for 20 years. Public schools and other groups will get to use the other 23 fields.
City officials have praised the deal, saying the private schools have a right to continue using the fields as they do now.
After the vote, Thompson issued a statement saying the city will name a task force to develop a transportation plan to expand public-school use of Randalls Island fields and will launch a pilot project of shuttle buses in the fall of 2008.
Originally published on February 15, 2007
NAT
February 15, 2007
The city closes down one field and say they are looking for a new home for the team. Yet the city is turning over the ballfields on Randall’s Island over to Private Schools for their use Exclusive Use!
I did not know that City Park Land can be purchased for Private Use.