There have been proposals to develop deeper into the borough of Queens. One that has gained a lot of attention lately is a proposal that will affect Flushing Meadows Corona Park. The plan is to allow large corporations and businesses into the Park. Below is an idea of how the new park would look like. Note, this map illustrates how the United States Tennis Association (the USTA) would expand on the space they were actually allowed to have more courts.

Credit: Queens Chronicle

Aside from the new Tennis Stadium, the space would be used to build a new mall as well as a soccer stadium and parking space. The proposal to “renovate” the park in the eyes of some and “destroy” in others, has  gained a lot of attention in both the community and the media. Residents as well as local leaders, have protested against giving up acres of park space, which has been used frequently for exercise and leisure.

Credit: DNAInfo and Nigel Chiwaya

As a result of, groups and organizations that have formed in protest of the Flushing Meadows Corona Park development. These groups include the Fairness Coalition of Queens, Save Flushing Meadows-Corona Park and Make the Road.

Fairness Coalition for Queens is one of the vocal groups that are protesting the proposal. They represent local residents as well as cultural, faith, and civic organizations. Their objective is to protect the park space, and to give local neighborhoods and residents a voice in the development. The FCQ also fights for the small businesses, “Mom and Pop stores” that will have to compete with big brands like Target or Forever 21. So, in response to the development set forth, the FCQ has turned to social media, creating a petition, which you can access here, and a Twitter account, to draw attention to  their fight.

Credit: Make the Road New York.

Another group that also protests the potential use of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park is Make the Road. The group formed prior to this development proposal; they have contributed to neighborhoods in all boroughs. Make the Road, unlike the Fairness Coalition, is a group with the purpose of representing Latino communities as well as working families. They have a large presence in Jackson Heights as well as Corona and Elmhurst. Jackson Heights, Corona and Elmhurst  are primarily composed of working-class Latino immigrant families, who are frequent patrons of the Park. It is important to note, however, that Make the Road does other issues that they tackle. The development would no doubt affect residents’ livelihoods.

While not as numerous, there are also groups that support development in the park and surrounding areas. One such group is Queens Alive, which is a group that supports the construction of the stadiums and mall in Willets Point. The Flushing Waterfront and Willets Point was originally a dump, and therefore physically and environmentally unappealing. Below is how Willets Point would look like under this vision:

Credit: Queens Alive

While there is no direct correlation between the Jackson Heights-Corona B.I.D. and development in the Park, both would impact the other. The B.I.D. is aimed to improve small businesses as well as the quality of life in these neighborhoods. The development is supposed to create a new Queens, driving up revenue from visitors and tourists. If the park looks nice, it may lead to customers entering and shopping in Flushing, Corona and Jackson Heights, and therefore support businesses. Julissa Ferreras, City Councilwoman who represents Corona and Jackson Heights, is an avid supporter of the B.I.D. While Ferreras did not clearly express her opinions on the developments specifically, she does support private enterprises and public institutions working together to improve the park in general.  At the moment, development has not yet started.

UPDATE: On May 14th, Community Board Seven has approved of development in Willets Point west with a vote of 22 to 18; the vote means that the proposal for a mall will go through, but it will still have to undergo approval before construction can begin. Queens Borough President Helen Marshall will no doubt have to deal with concerns from the aforementioned groups and residents.

Northern Queens has had a rich history in terms of developmental progress in the 20^th century. As far back as 1939, Queens has drawn attention from major capitalist investors as a use of space. Originally, the Flushing Meadows-Corona Park was renovated as the location of the World’s Fair of 1939. The same area is drawing contemporary attention in serving as a major center of attraction, housing the largest mall in the city alongside three major sports arenas. Though the area is currently being contested, there are significantly different implications in the modern proposal concerning the immigrant populations in the surrounding areas. These large scale developments and the possibility of Queens becoming a “destination” hotspot could have major effects on the Roosevelt Avenue BID. To access the Pratt Center report on the “Queens Triple Play,” click here.