Yankee Stadium is Falling Down

(via)

Thousands of screaming fans used to fill plastic seats, anticipating the players’ next moves on the tidy green field below. Now, blue plastic chairs hang from the shell of a stadium that was. Twisted metal and concrete debris sit in a pit of brown dirt and dust. Fans and players have relocated to the shiny new structure across the street. The House that Ruth Built is now broken.

In March, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation finally began demolishing the legendary Yankee Stadium to make way for “Heritage Field and Ruppert Plaza,” a 10-acre community park.

The demolition comes almost a year after the opening of the new Yankee Stadium, located across the street at 161^st Street and River Avenue. According to Thaindian News, the demolition was delayed due to asbestos removal and the stadium’s location.

Because of the nearby elevated subway station and residential neighborhoods, crews were not allowed to use explosives to tear the stadium down.

Residents and fans alike have also been complaining since the project’s proposal in August of 2005, stirring up controversy.

“The new park—it’s not about baseball, it’s about luxury,” said Yankees fan Steven Savors to the Daily News.

St. John’s student Bridget Cantelmo, 20, agrees. “When I was a kid, my brother and I would go to games and the stadium itself was an experience,” she said. “It was just so iconic.”

A group of dedicated fans lobbied to keep Gate 2 in the new park. “This Gate stands proudly for all the fans, players, and individuals who visited, played, and worked within her majestic confines,” reads Save the Yankee Gate 2’s website. “It is the most architecturally significant element remaining from the original 1920's era ballpark.”

City officials did not save the gate, according to the New York Times, because it would interfere with plans for the new park.

A rendering of Heritage Park courtesy of NYC Dept. of Parks and Rec.

Heritage Field will include three baseball fields, soccer and football fields, a track, four basketball courts, eight handball courts, sixteen tennis courts, a skate park, a playground, and a picnic area.

Ruppert Plaza features a pedestrian promenade ideal for walking and outdoor vendors. A staircase, hill, and pedestrian ramp will connect the plaza to the Macombs Dam Park.

Trees will be planted along the footprint of the old stadium, accompanied by plaques and markers to celebrate its history.

The demolition of Yankee Stadium is slated to finish in June. Heritage Park and Ruppert Plaza are scheduled to open Fall 2011.