Mayor de Blasio with Mets owner Steve Cohen and Mr. and Mrs. Met. Photo credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office.

The Mets will join the Yankees in offering their stadiums to serve as mass COVID vaccination sites. Just as Yankee Stadium is earmarked for Bronx residents, Citi Field’s appointments will be set aside 50 percent for drivers with TLC licenses and food delivery workers and 50 percent for Queens residents, Mayor De Blasio announced today in a press conference. The Flushing, Queens site will open this Wednesday, February 10th at 10:00am.

Read more

Photo by Jörg Angeli on Unsplash

To show support for New York City’s essential workers on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic, a number of buildings turned blue Thursday night. Madison Square Garden, One World Trade Center’s spire, Beacon Theatre, Pier 17, Hudson Yards’ Vessel, and more join more than 100 landmarks across the country as part of the #LightItBlue campaign. The nationwide lighting will occur weekly every Thursday.

Find out more

Rendering of 126th Street facing north; image courtesy of NYCEDC

City officials have released long-awaited plans to develop the blighted Willets Point section of Corona, Queens. As 6sqft previously reported, the economic development site within the industrial neighborhood east of Citi Field known as the Iron Triangle was at one point slated for a cleanup of its toxic soil and the creation of affordable and senior housing that would replace a jumble of auto shops and industrial businesses. Finally surfacing almost four months after a task force submitted suggestions to the Econonmic Development Corp. (EDC), the plans contain two development scenarios including a soccer stadium and mixed-use scenario that includes residential development, retail and a school.

Read more

Willets Point from Citi Field. Image: Wiki Commons.

The city and developers have filed preliminary plans to pave a 6.5 acre stretch of city land for 665 parking spots, Crains reports. The economic development site within the industrial neighborhood of Willets Point, in Corona, Queens also known as the Iron Triangle was slated for a cleanup of its toxic soil and the creation of affordable and senior housing, plans which resulted in the demolition of a cluster of small businesses.

Find out more

Photo courtesy of Bill Cotter/worldsfairphotos

On April 28th and 29th CitiField will be transformed into a modern, food-centric take on the 1964 New York World’s Fair. The World’s Fare wants guests to experience “diversity through cuisine,” which they’ll accomplish with 100+ food vendors from more than 100 cultures (there will also be an international beer garden, live music, and art), and now Eater has the scoop on the first 50 of these participants, which includes old-time Jewish bakery Orwashers, social venture and Bengali pop-up Jhal NYC, Japanese vegetable pancake purveyor Oconomi, Australian restaurant the Thirsty Koala, and Brazilian chocolate shop Brigadeiros.

The full list and all the event details

Photo courtesy of Bill Cotter/worldsfairphotos

Experience “diversity through cuisine” at CitiField this spring at an event paying homage to the iconic 1964 New York World’s Fair. Dubbed the World’s Fare, the event will feature over 100 food vendors from more than 100 cultures, as well as live music and art (h/t QNS). Highlights include an international beer garden that will offer tastings of 80 craft beers from 45 breweries and exhibits of LEGO Art and 4-D drawings.

Get the details

Yesterday, 6sqft took a look at a Brookings institute study that showed three New York City sports stadiums–Yankee Stadium (the most expensive of all in the country), Citi Field, and the Barclays Center–have received $867 million in direct and indirect federal subsidies. This resulted in the loss of $3.7 billion in government revenues since 2000, due to “lost tax revenue from issuing exempt bonds and the indirect proceeds high-income bond holders receive.”

Because of this drain, the authors of the study advocate that stadiums should not be eligible to receive tax-exempt bonds, especially since they claim “there is little evidence that stadiums provide even local economic benefits.” But not everyone agrees, likening stadiums to other public enterprises like parks. And, at least as pertains to the stadiums in New York, these venues host other community events aside from ticketed sports games. Which side are you on?

Share your thoughts here

A recent Brookings institute study shows that federal government subsidies of big-ticket sports stadium construction are essentially money down the drain, The Real Deal reports. Three New York City stadiums–Yankee Stadium, Citi Field (both completed in 2009) and the Barclays Center–have accounted for a significant portion of these subsidies in the form of tax-exempt bonds, which have resulted in the loss of $3.7 billion in federal government revenues since 2000.

Not exactly a surprise…

• Crown Heights Premium Rental is Now Listing: It’s been a 7 year wait, but the new rental building, set to begin leasing in July, has finally released the first listings and Curbed has them, along with some renderings.
• Drinking and Grocery Shopping: According to the Observer, the Whole Foods at Columbus Avenue will soon be offering liquor at its pub On Tap from noon to closing. We’ll drink to that.
• CWCapital Calls off Stuy Town Auction: CWCapital Management officially took over Stuy Town earlier this week and they’ve decided that cancelling the auction is in the best interest of certificate holders and residents of complex… for now. Crain’s NY has more on the story.
• Fitting Renovation into Your Schedule: Anyone who’s spent a Saturday watching marathons on HGTV knows that renovation can be stressful and time consuming. Apartment Therapy has a few tips on fitting a home reno in your schedule.
• 123 on the Park Begins Leasing: The new rentals, formerly the site of Flatbush’s Caledonian Hospital, has posted 11 listings so far according to the Brownstoner. Best of all, they have pics from the new listings.
• Former Hotel Site on Astoria Boulevard Sells: Flushing based LGA Hospitality just purchased the 3 parcels on Astoria Boulevard near Citi Field and the Brownstoner has the scoop.
• Just Another Day in Space: FastCo. spotlights Tim Dodd, a photographer who took a series of side-splitting photographs of himself as an astronaut doing typical daily activities.
• Godfather of Ice Cream Goes Vegan: Malcolm Stogo, inventor of Cookies ‘n Cream (THANK YOU!!), is taking on the challenge of creating a dairy-free ice cream. The Observer talks to him as he works in his Astoria factory.
• 10 of Archinect’s Top Pinterest Interiors: Who doesn’t love looking at beautiful interiors. In case you haven’t noticed, we do! So we’re spreading the love with some of Archinect’s gorgeous pinterest pics.

Images: Tim Dodd cooking (left), 123 on the Park interior (right)