"Showdown for proposed Yankee Stadium", Newsday, 3/27/6

Showdown for proposed Yankee Stadium

BY TED PHILLIPS
STAFF WRITER

March 27, 2006, 4:54 PM EST

The plan to build a new Yankee stadium on city parkland faces a critical vote Tuesday.

If the City Council Land Use committee approves the plan, it will goes to the full council, which is expected to vote on it April 5.

The plan for an $800 million stadium has drawn intense opposition from Bronx residents who say it will take away essential parkland in an area with high rates of asthma. Opponents say that replacement parks that the city would build for more than $100 million would be too scattered. They also say that proposed artificial turf fields built atop parking garages will be inadequate.

If the council approves the stadium, the grassroots opposition group Save Our Parks is prepared to sue.

"The community will use every resource necessary to fight this irresponsible plan," said Geoffrey Croft, president of NYC Park Advocates, an organization that is helping the group.

Yankees officials and Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrión have said the new stadium would be a boon to the South Bronx.

"There's been a lot of public support," said Alice McGillion of Rubenstein Associates, which represents the Yankees.

Some opponents have advocated that the Yankees build a new ballpark at team's current location and play at Shea Stadium during construction, as they did in the mid-1970s when the Bronx stadium was renovated. But the mayor called that idea impratical yesterday.

"They both have their own interests of, you know, team spirit, and sharing stadiums is not something that's done easily," Bloomberg said.