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June 25, 2006
Mets to get train station, too?
The public costs associated with the New York Mets and Yankees stadium projects just keep adding up: With the state-run Metropolitan Transportation Authority having promised to build a Metro-North commuter rail station alongside the Yankees' stadium (at a cost of $40 million, according to the latest press reports), Mets backers are now pushing for them to get a train station, too. "It shouldn't be so difficult to see a game," said MTA board member Mitchell Pally, noting that fans from Long Island currently have to either switch trains or (gasp!) take the subway in order to get to Shea Stadium.
Pally's solution, according to Newsday: to explore the feasibility of "building a Long Island Rail Road station on the main line at Shea." One problem: The LIRR main line (it's the gray one) doesn't go anywhere near Shea. The MTA told Newsday it could have a feasibility study complete by its board meeting this Wednesday; unless the feasibility is "none," this should be mighty interesting.
In related news, there have been several reports of late that the Mets were moving construction equipment into the Shea Stadium parking lot during last week's homestand - which seems a bit premature, since the IRS ruling on whether stadium bonds are legal is still likely months away. I called the Mets twice last week, learning from one press flunky that they were just "moving equipment into position" for when construction can begin; and from another that the trucks in question were just for "soil samples," not for actual excavation. I haven't had time to hop the 7 train this week, so if any of my Queens readers could pop by and report on what's actually sitting in the Shea parking lot, I'd be much obliged.
it would be normal to conduct soil investigations prior to commencing design. the equipment required for this is a tall drilling rig.
Posted by Patrick on June 26, 2006 05:06 PM
Yeah, I saw them in Macombs Dam Park last fall when they were doing soil samples for the Yankees stadium. Without an eyewitness account, though, I can't tell whether this is what's in place in the Shea parking lot.
Posted by Neil on June 26, 2006 07:51 PM
Saw the equipment during the last series against the Reds. It's a fair amount of parking lot that's been sectioned off. In one area, concrete Jersey barricades are piled fairly high. In another, there's a maybe twenty-foot hydraulic tower...could be for soil sampling or for pulling up concrete. From our view in the upper deck boxes on the third base side, the sectioned-off areas were, well, a good deal of the visible parking lot beyond the outfield fence.
Posted by Scott Turner on June 29, 2006 05:37 PM
Saw the equipment during the last series against the Reds. It's a fair amount of parking lot that's been sectioned off. In one area, concrete Jersey barricades are piled fairly high. In another, there's a maybe twenty-foot hydraulic tower...could be for soil sampling or for pulling up concrete. From our view in the upper deck boxes on the third base side, the sectioned-off areas were, well, a good deal of the visible parking lot beyond the outfield fence.
Posted by Scott Turner on June 29, 2006 05:38 PM
Greetings,
We are designing a railway station in KSA
and we need to know information regarding the workshop equipment required.
Best regards,
Talal ZeinEdinne