The plans were drafted by Parks Department landscape architect Gilmore David Clarke and his partner Michael Rapuano, designed in Beaux-Arts style. In addition to the ash dumps and undeveloped meadows, houses in Corona east of 111th Street, adjacent to the dumps, were condemned and added to the site, displacing residents. In 1935, the site, now planned as "Flushing Meadow Park", was selected for what would become the 1939 World's Fair. Meanwhile, the residential areas of Corona were expected to become the primary residence for factory workers. The plan envisioned widening Flushing River and creating docks for ships, with numerous factories and freight facilities. By 1911, Degnon had created a plan along with the United States Department of War and the Queens Topographical Bureau. Degnon envisioned using the site to create a large industrial port around Flushing Bay, similar to a terminal he developed in Long Island City. At the time, the land was considered "all but worthless".
Click here to read the Court of Appeals decision: 54opn17-Decisionīanner image by gigi_nyc under Creative Commons license.Around 1907, contractor Michael Degnon, whose firm constructed the Williamsburg Bridge, the Cape Cod Canal, and the Steinway subway tunnel (used by today's 7 and trains), purchased large tracts of marsh near Flushing Creek.Reaffirming the public trust doctrine, the Appellate Division stated: “nder the public trust doctrine, dedicated park areas in New York are impressed with a public trust for the benefit of the people of the State, and their ‘use for other than park purposes, either for a period of years or permanently, requires the direct and specific approval of the State Legislature, plainly conferred,” and went on to hold: “There is simply no basis to interpret the statute as authorizing the construction of another structure that has no natural connection to a stadium.” The case is currently on appeal to the New York Court of Appeals.
CORONA PARK TRIAL
While the trial court agreed with respondents, the Appellate Division reversed in a unanimous decision. The respondents argued that the requisite consent could be found in a few words of the 1961 law that authorized the construction of Shea Stadium. The City Club brought this case to vindicate the principle of the public trust doctrine, an ancient common law doctrine according to which parkland is held in trust for the people of the State, and cannot be alienated ( i.e., sold, leased, transferred or otherwise dedicated to a non-park use) without the consent of the State Legislature. This project, sponsored by the City’s Economic Development Corporation, and endorsed by the Bloomberg Administration and by the City Council, was to be built by The Related Companies and Sterling Equities, allegedly in conjunction with the redevelopment of a portion of Willets Point. In February 2014, the City Club was instrumental in bringing a law suit, together with other civic groups, businesses, and individuals, as well as State Senator Tony Avella, challenging the proposed construction of a shopping mall in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, immediately to the east of CitiField, on what is now the Citifield parking lot.
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