DEIS: Parkland concerns; Ruppert Plaza

RUPPERT PLAZA

Draft EIS states:

Ruppert Plaza between East 161st Street and East 157th Street would be converted to passive parkland use as part of the proposed project’s parkland replacement.

Between Heritage Field and the soccer field and athletic track would be a passive park with an alley of trees on re-aligned Ruppert Place. Renamed “Ruppert Plaza,” it would comprise 1.13 acres of new parkland. Ruppert Plaza would function as the main thoroughfare from the existing parking facilities, as well as proposed Parking Garage A, to the proposed stadium.

Ruppert Plaza would be an important recreation element that would be integrated with Heritage Field, and would also function as the main thoroughfare from the existing parking facilities, as well as proposed Parking Garage A, to the proposed stadium. The design of Ruppert Plaza would include trees, benches, and pedestrian walkways.

Response:

While the DEIS tries to describe Ruppert Plaza as an ” an important recreation element”, there is really no opportunity to use it as such, as it is proposed. Ruppert Plaza will mainly be used as a pedestrian walkway connecting parking garages with the stadium – flooded during game times and empty at all other times.

Ruppert Plaza will be situated between the wall of the old stadium, and the wall of Parking Garage A, which will have a track and a soccer field on top of it. People will have to use Ruppert Plaza to access the stairs/elevators that will take them to the track or the soccer field. But beyond the need to access those facilities, it is hard to believe that Ruppert Plaza will be used for any other form of recreation. It will be a paved mall, between two buildings, with a few benches and trees. Not an equivalent amenity compared to the parks that will be lost.