I had some spare time and started playing urban planner (the inner Robert Moses in me). It would be awesome if we could have a stadium close to the city, and I believe Sunnyside Yards in Long Island City would be a great site for a stadium.
Why?
A. The stadium would be walking distance to 5 Subway lines, and just minutes away from Manhattan:
7 minutes walking to the M/R - 36th St,
10 min walking to the 7 - 40th Street
12 minutes walking to the N,Q , - 39th Avenue
B. The city is very interested in developing the rail yard:
http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2015/02/19/inside_sunnyside_yards_new_york_citys_next_megaproject.php
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/30/opinion/sunday/new-yorks-next-big-thing.html?_r=0
C. With so many public transportation alternatives in the vicinity - and on street parking, a smaller lot will be required. I believe that it can be done without even building a platform over the train tracks. See the attached picture... the building south of the proposed site (Major Chevrolet Services) essentially did the same thing... built in a lot in between the tracks and built a bridge to 43rd street.
D. To develop in this lot will be expensive, but not prohibitive. I think the idea is feasible, especially if the city gets involved (due to their interest in developing the rail yard) and the lot size is significantly reduced compared to a typical arena due to on street parking & very good public transportation access.
Here's how I did it: I was curious to see if an MLS stadium would fit in one of the empty areas in the rail yard. I copied the NYRB Arena (at the same scale as the google maps screen cap) and photoshopped it in the google maps.
So, without further ado, I present to you the results:
You can see all the nearby subway stops: the 7 south, M,R east & N,Q further east. A pedestrian bridge can be built to 39th street and a vehicular one to 43rd street. If more space is required, some of the neighboring lots could be acquired - or maybe building a platform over the tracks in the middle could be a feasible option.
I'm not saying it can be done exactly like I'm showing it here. There are many factors that have to be taken in consideration, like, zoning for example. I was just curious to explore the posibility and share it with the community.
Why?
A. The stadium would be walking distance to 5 Subway lines, and just minutes away from Manhattan:
7 minutes walking to the M/R - 36th St,
10 min walking to the 7 - 40th Street
12 minutes walking to the N,Q , - 39th Avenue
B. The city is very interested in developing the rail yard:
http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2015/02/19/inside_sunnyside_yards_new_york_citys_next_megaproject.php
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/30/opinion/sunday/new-yorks-next-big-thing.html?_r=0
C. With so many public transportation alternatives in the vicinity - and on street parking, a smaller lot will be required. I believe that it can be done without even building a platform over the train tracks. See the attached picture... the building south of the proposed site (Major Chevrolet Services) essentially did the same thing... built in a lot in between the tracks and built a bridge to 43rd street.
D. To develop in this lot will be expensive, but not prohibitive. I think the idea is feasible, especially if the city gets involved (due to their interest in developing the rail yard) and the lot size is significantly reduced compared to a typical arena due to on street parking & very good public transportation access.
Here's how I did it: I was curious to see if an MLS stadium would fit in one of the empty areas in the rail yard. I copied the NYRB Arena (at the same scale as the google maps screen cap) and photoshopped it in the google maps.
So, without further ado, I present to you the results:
You can see all the nearby subway stops: the 7 south, M,R east & N,Q further east. A pedestrian bridge can be built to 39th street and a vehicular one to 43rd street. If more space is required, some of the neighboring lots could be acquired - or maybe building a platform over the tracks in the middle could be a feasible option.
I'm not saying it can be done exactly like I'm showing it here. There are many factors that have to be taken in consideration, like, zoning for example. I was just curious to explore the posibility and share it with the community.