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Turf Field Could Replace Queensboro Oval Tennis Bubble, City Says

By Shaye Weaver | January 2, 2017 5:05pm
 The tennis bubble could be taken down if the Parks Department moves forward with two of the three options it has come up with for the Queensboro Oval.
The tennis bubble could be taken down if the Parks Department moves forward with two of the three options it has come up with for the Queensboro Oval.
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DNAinfo/Shaye Weaver

UPPER EAST SIDE — Amid public outcry over a privately operated tennis bubble that's monopolized a city park under the Queensboro Bridge for the past four decades, the Parks Department has offered up three alternative uses for the space, including a multi-sport synthetic turf.

Community members and local elected officials recently started a push to get the 1-acre Queensboro Oval open to the public, as the city's contract with the Sutton East Tennis Club is expected to expire this summer.

The club had been renting out the entire park space under the bridge near East 59th Street since 1997, allowing it to use the lot nine out of 12 months each year while charging tennis players $80 to $225 per hour.

The Parks Department has said it was working on alternatives to address the community's concerns about a lack of open green space in the neighborhood. The agency is planning to present three new options for the Queensboro Oval during a Community Board 8 Parks Committee meeting on Jan. 12, 2017, according to Jim Clynes, chairman of the board.

Here are the three plans the city is considering, according to a Parks Department presentation provided to CB8:

► The first option would be to replace the tennis bubble entirely with a multi-sport, synthetic-turf field that can be used for softball, soccer, football and lacrosse. The plan also includes room for seating, lockers and restrooms — all of which do not exist in the space now.

Under this plan, there would be increased public use in the summer, but 12,000 fewer hours of court time at night because of the loss of lights from the tennis bubble, which currently operates from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, according to officials.

This plan would cost roughly $6.1 million and take three to five years to complete, Parks officials said.

► A second option would be to create a smaller multi-sport field and a separate section for four permanent tennis courts. This plan, which would cost about $5 million, would also feature seating, restrooms and lockers. 

The tennis courts could be used by visitors as well as clubs through a permit from the Parks Department.

This plan would also take three to five years to complete. 

► The final alternative is to allow the tennis bubble to stay in the park for six months instead of nine, and to remove it the rest of the time.

A concessionaire would still be responsible for year-round maintenance of the park, and there would be fee-based programming during the fall and winter.

Though this option would include minimal improvements to the space, no fundraising would be required to complete the work. The nature of the improvements will be decided later after getting feedback from all stakeholders, according to Parks Department spokesman Crystal Howard.

Since the park is located beneath the Queensboro Bridge, it's technically under the jurisdiction of the city's Department of Transportation. DOT workers would need access to the space to do any needed work on the bridge, which means there cannot be permanent structures, trees or changes to underground infrastructure or utilities.

This also means that the community board's idea for an ice-skating rink on the oval is a no-go, according to the Parks Department. 

Parks officials announced in October that they are holding off on putting out a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a new concessionaire at the location once the lease with the tennis club ends so that it can consider other options and look into the feasibility of converting the space.

“We are continuing our open dialogue with community stakeholders with a mutual goal to maximize year round utilization of the space that provides youth and adult recreational opportunities, including summertime activation," Howard said.

All three proposals will be presented to CB8's Parks Committee for the first time on Jan. 12 at 6:30 p.m. at the Brick Presbyterian Church on East 92nd Street.