DEIS: Business impacts; New retail in stadium

NEW RETAIL IN STADIUM

Draft EIS states:

Retail. The main team store selling Yankees’ merchandise would be at two levels in a prominent location, allowing entry from within the stadium. Two smaller satellite stores selling Yankees’ merchandise would be located away from each other and from the main retail store to allow for better access to retail outlets for fans throughout the stadium.

Novelty stands would also be provided throughout the concourses, distributed proportionately at high-traffic areas.

A Yankees store would also be located at street level and be accessible to the public from the street as well as from inside the proposed stadium.

Ground-floor retail space that would be provided at proposed Parking Garage D along River Avenue would be compatible with existing retail along the avenue, as well as with the retail that is expected to be developed at the Gateway Center at Bronx Terminal Market.

Response:

Depending on the nature of the items sold at the Yankee Stadium retail stores, they may or may not compete directly with local businesses. However, where the souvenir market is concerned, the Yankee Stadium stores will probably do better since they are physically in the stadium.

Retail space should be provided in Garage D as a way to lessen the brutal streetscape it will create by creating a massive 5-story structure which spans over a local street. The retail spaces in Garage D should be given to local businesses.