[ardecila]

What's the huge area labeled "MTA Parcel"? It seems the MTA is a huge landowner in the area - Corona Yard is surrounded by random grass and parking lots. It would look appropriate in some random Cleveland suburb, but not Queens. I can't believe New York viewed that as an appropriate gateway for visitors to two different Worlds' Fairs, the US Open, and Mets games.

Why is the city trying to buy out a whole bunch of active businesses which constitute an urban (if third-world) neighborhood, and ignoring the large areas of land that MTA is using in an extremely inefficient way? There's also the parking lots of Shea Stadium. WTF? The city provided hundreds of millions in subsidy to the Mets for Citifield, so why didn't they encourage the formation of a vibrant, mixed-use neighborhood there? (with parking placed in garages) The city already has a substantial interest in these areas of land. Why acquire more and refuse to develop the already vacant areas?

Also, I read a little bit - the derelict image of Willets Point is largely due to the city's failure to provide paved streets, sewers, or sidewalks. Again, I question the wisdom of a city that spends hundreds of millions on eminent domain instead of a few million on street construction in Willets Point and almost-free land around Citifield and Corona Yard.

EDIT: Apparently MTA wants to use the parcel along the Van Wyck as an expansion of Corona Yard - probably to service the additional trains required by the 7 extension. Again, shitty idea... it cuts any Willets Point development off from the waterfront, and MTA already has massive parking lots that could easily be accommodated elsewhere (like across the street?) Why do MTA workers need lots of parking, anyhow? Shouldn't they be the workers who are most willing to ride the subway to work?