Coming soon: The new Flushing

Posted by Steve on Wednesday, May 2nd, 2007

Flushing does not fall under the arbitrary definition of “Central Queens” employed by this site, but the plans Michael “Mike” Bloomberg announced today to completely transform Willets Point are so earth-shattering that they should be of interest to everyone around here. Huge things are going on right next door, and all of Queens will probably be affected in one way or another.

Personally, I love the idea. It’s long overdue, though the Mets’ new stadium, opening in 2009, is the obvious time to do it. Mets fans know all about the hideous, perplexing land mass that is Shea Stadium’s surrounding area, all chop shops and dirt and crumbling industrial structures. Luckily, most people who attend games don’t even have to look at it, because it’s thoughtfully separated from the ballpark by a vast parking lot. Almost everybody gets to Shea by subway or by driving directly from the highway through Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. When the Mets announced their new stadium plan a year or so ago, probably the one thing that most impressed me — much more than the Coors Field-esque architecture — was that as a result of being built in the aforementioned parking lot, Citi Field would front on an actual street. It was an obvious opportunity. Now it looks like that opportunity may become reality.

I used to live near Chicago, where going to a Cubs game usually involves a lot more than watching baseball. In Wrigleyville, you eat, you drink, you catch a live band. Over the years, the working-class neighborhood has become one of Chicago’s hottest places to live, home base for the city’s legendary improv scene and gay community. That’s largely thanks to the Cubs and the thousands of fans forced to spend time in the neighborhood in order to get to Wrigley Field. Operating on the same theory, new stadiums have recently transformed the surrounding neighborhood in cities like Seattle and Pittsburgh, with a little help from the local government. There’s no reason the same thing can’t happen in Flushing. Willets Point could also become a great gateway to Flushing’s vibrant Chinatown.

When Flushing becomes a destination independent of the Mets, the rest of Queens will benefit from its reputation and proximity — especially us, being so close. And here’s the best part: The “develop don’t destroy” people don’t have much to complain about, as there’s nothing to destroy. It really is one of New York’s least-attractive neighborhoods. I couldn’t help but notice that Queens Crap, which normally opposes pretty much all development, has been largely silent on this issue. Telling! I hear the auto-body operations in Willets Point aren’t happy about this — and nobody hates eminent domain more than me — but I think in the end, capitalism will take care of it and the businesses will take the money and run.

It’s going to be exciting to head to the game in 2009 and see what’s happening. And considering where ticket prices at Citi Field are likely to end up, there’d better be something else to do.

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