"New Yank Ball'Park' Plan, Daily News 8/31/7

NEW YANK BALL'PARK' PLAN
By SAMUEL GOLDSMITH

August 31, 2007 -- Parking your car at the new Yankee Stadium is going to be a little harder than the team wanted, but no less expensive.

The Empire State Development Corp. announced yesterday that an entire parking garage - with 1,145 spaces - would be cut from the new stadium, but the project's price tag would stay the same.

Rising construction costs are to blame for scaling back the plan, the ESDC said. The state agency pledged $75 million in public funds to build four new parking lots for the stadium, but now only three can be built.

"It was not feasible to develop all four garages," the ESDC said in a statement. The cost of the parking lots is nearly $240 million, the bulk of which will be paid with city-issued bonds.

Until yesterday, the Yankees planned on 10,300 parking spaces. A team spokesman declined comment.

ESDC chairman Patrick Foye said losing the parking lot will not disrupt travel because a new Metro-North train station will be near the stadium.