CORONA — Gov. Andrew Cuomo has approved the USTA’s plan to expand its center in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, signing legislation Friday that will enable the $500 million project to move forward.
The plan, which was passed by the city council in July, will turn over .68 of an acre of land in the park to the USTA, which will build a new Grandstand stadium, add two parking garages and replace seven tennis courts.
The USTA will also return over an acre of land to the Parks Department for public use.
The Billie Jean King Tennis Center is the largest public tennis facility in the world and the site of the US Open.
“New York is proud to showcase the biggest players in tennis at this annual event, and I am committed to making this facility the best it can be to attract and host more events like the US Open,” Cuomo said Friday.
The construction project, which is slated to begin by the end of this year, will create more than 1,500 jobs, Cuomo said.
USTA Chairman and President Dave Haggerty said the center is part of the city’s rich history — and the expansion will help make it a part of it’s future.
“As the world’s largest annual sporting event, the US Open is proud to bring worldwide attention to the city and state that it calls home, and is pleased that this legislation will allow the longstanding tradition to continue,” he said.
