This is part of a a series of articles where we discuss how the land under Flushing Meadows-Corona Park has a history of being exploited to make the the wealth richer at the expense of the locals.

Systematic Under-funding

Since the Worlds Fairs, Flushing Meadows Corona Park has been de-funded by local politicians so it can become easier to privatize it. In 2007 Forgotten New York document the abuse of our cultural history in the park. In just one example they discuss the Fountain of Planets:

“The Fountain of the Planets, largest in the world, shoots 10,000 tons of water as high as 150 feet into the air in ever-changing patterns. Rockets are fired from 464 launchers; lights totaling 150 million candle power cast their brilliant colors at water and sky; and music plays over loudspeakers. The fountain is automated, allowing split-second coordination of water jets, lights and music in five completely different shows. These days the Fountain is a huge lake of stagnant, algae-filled water surrounded by metal and chicken wire fencing and makeshift ID sign mounted on wooden posts.”

In a city that will do anything for tourism, why have we let our Worlds Fair grounds go to ruin? This historic parkland was the home of the United Nations General Assembly from 1946 to 1950, including the vote to partition Palestine and create the state of Israel. Plans were drawn up to make this the “World’s Capital” and keep it as a center of diplomacy. But world peace is less profitable to politicians than corporate capitalism.

The land right next to the park was called the Iron Triangle, and was home to countless small, minority owned businesses. The City refused to connect the Iron Triangle to the sewer system, refused to pave the streets, or even create sidewalks. Without snowplow or adequate garbage service the businesses struggled survive. Gerald Antonacci, the owner of Crown Container, told local filmmakers, “They basically just collect taxes and leave you to fend for yourself. And now they want to come and take our property, to blame us for their neglect… I mean, these are billionaires we are talking about. These are the games billionaires play with each other. And the small guys, the taxpayers, wind up footing the bill for it.” On November 13, 2008 the New York City Council approve the redevelopment plan which included the use of eminent domain to remove the few surviving businesses to make way for corporations The Related Companies and Sterling Equities to take the land.

William A. Shea was lawyer who figured out how to get around laws that didn’t allow cities to borrow money just to build a new stadium. When parkland was taken for the Mets, the stadium was named after him. The USTA National Tennis Center took 46.5 acres of parkland for itself, though during the two weeks a year it’s actually used, just about all of Flushing Meadows becomes its parking lot. During those two weeks flights are diverted away from rich guests of the tennis stadium, instead zooming over the lower income local neighborhoods.

Why is Flushing Meadows Corona Park being sold off while while the smaller Central Park is kept in good condition? The residents around Central Park are richer and better connected than those in Flushing. The average income of the zip codes around Central Park is $136,336 while the average around Flushing is $73,691, with 11355 averaging $53,700 a year. Although we do not have precise data, even this rough estimate of double the wealth around one park points to the reason it receives a different level of service. Queens may have consolidated into New York in 1898, but it is has never been given the same respect as Manhattan and Brooklyn.

This is part of a series of articles about how the Flushing Meadows-Corona Park area is being sold off by local politicians. To stay up to date with this and other community stories, enter your email address and click the “FOLLOW” button or connect with us @queensgreenway on bluesky. If you don’t like loosing parkland, call your local politician today since this decision will be decide cit-wide.