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March 27, 2010
Last of Yankee Stadium seating bowl demolished
The last section of the Yankee Stadium upper deck, the only remaining part of the seating bowl, was demolished on Thursday.
More photos here and here and here.
All that remains now is the exterior wall (and some scraps of interior concourse), including Gate 2, which some preservationists are trying to save as the most intact fragment of the original 1923-era stadium. The Save the Yankee Gate 2 Committee Committee to Commemorate Old Yankee Stadium this week asked the city Landmarks Preservation Commission for an emergency injunction against the destruction of the gate, citing a mayor's office official who last month testified that the gate was an original 1923 structure. No word yet on any response from the commission. (The group says it's also offered to pay for removal and preservation of the 1920s terra cotta medallions and balconies that are part of Gate 2; no word on the fate of that proposal, either.)
Gate 2 organizer Michael Hagan, meanwhile, passed along the city's latest plans for memorializing Yankee Stadium, which include outlining the field dimensions in dark green grass (the original home plate site would be second base in a new public ballfield), keeping the smokestack "bat" and two pieces of the concrete frieze that ran atop the scoreboard in the renovated stadium, and installing "historical moments" embedded in the sidewalk and viewfinders in the park showing "photographic slides."
It all sounds a lot like this.
that was a sickening sight to see :(
Posted by nyrmetros on March 27, 2010 09:57 AM
only the entry portals at the bottom of gate 2 were part of the original building. the left field grandstand was not completed until the 1930's.
granted some parts of the parks dept. design are goofy, but as has been shown in other nyc parks/landmarks pres. projects when they have an idea it's difficult to change 'em. human nature being what it is - why have power like this if you can't use it?
with critical infrastructure crumbling, school/fire & police protection budgets being cut to dangerous levels, how can anyone justify such an effort using taxpayer $$$'s especially with the fact that yanks franchise not wanting to get involved.
if it's not important to them...?
our priorities are not in order...
Neil, Why is the Save the Yankee Gate 2 Committee crossed of?
Paul W. - as has been said MANY times now, there are many ways to fundraise $$ for these types of things. The $ to preserve the gate does NOT have to come from taxpayer dollars. A commemorative brick sale alone would pay for most of it.
Posted by Dude on March 28, 2010 11:30 AM
Apparently there was a split in the Gate 2 group, and it was the new organization that asked for the injunction.
Posted by Neil on March 28, 2010 11:39 AM
It's very difficult to raise money for *anything* via a brick sale, unless you are part of a larger organization that can mount a massive marketing campaign.
And having experienced first hand how few people actually cared that Yankee Stadium was going to be replaced by a franklin mint replica, I think that there is no chance for a scrappy group to raise private funds to try and salvage anything up there...especially when the city has been so outwardly hostile towards preservation groups.
Posted by David Gratt on March 29, 2010 02:11 AM
What entrance gate should I use for section #426.
Posted by Peter Licopantis on July 20, 2010 08:06 PM