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Ball Fields May Shut Down As Buildings Rise Downtown’s only ball fields, which serve hundreds of the neighborhood’s young soccer and baseball players, may be closed next year when the construction of two residential buildings begins in Battery Park City. The Battery Park City Authority (BPCA) recently came to an agreement with Milstein Properties to build on the last two residential lots, Sites 23 and 24, adjacent to the ball fields. According to the authority, until there is a construction plan they will not know for sure when or for how long the fields will be closed. Leticia Remauro, a spokeswoman for the authority, told the Battery Park City Committee of Community Board 1 on July 11, that the danger of high winds blowing tools and debris onto the field during construction could play a factor in the decision of whether and when to close the fields. Also, she said, the field's backstops would need to come down during one phase of construction, and that could mean a temporary closure depending on the timeline. But, she said, there is nothing in the agreement that would allow for Milstein Properties to simply close the field throughout the construction. "They have no right to say they are closing the field," she said. Construction of similar sized buildings has typically taken 18 to 24 months. The two sites will likely be built on simultaneously, according to the authority. “We haven’t heard anything official, but it’s certainly a source of concern,” said Don Schuck, head of the Downtown Soccer League. Officials of the little league and soccer league will meet with the BPCA and the developer on July 10. James Gill, chairman of the BPCA, told the Trib they would try to curtail the impact on the leagues. “When the construction begins there will be some interference. We’ll try to keep it to a minimum.” The ball fields were originally intended to be temporary. If that land were developed the value would exceed $100 million, according to Gill. So when the BPCA agreed to make the fields permanent, he said, “That was a huge sacrifice.” “We can’t say, ‘Oh no, we can’t develop these two sites because it will interfere with little league.’” The two new buildings will also bring a benefit to the neighborhood, he added, because they will house a 50,000- square-foot community center with a swimming pool, gym, dance and classrooms, a kitchen and auditorium. The leagues and members of CB1 have met several times with the BPCA in recent months in an effort to have the grass at the fields replaced with artificial turf. By switching to a lower maintenance playing surface, the league officials say, they could get more playing time on the fields. In April, the BPCA turned down that request. Schuck said the possibility that the fields may be closed next year did not come up. “It’s never been part of our discussion with the authority, so it is a little bit of a surprise, and a disappointment,” he said. The closing could leave the growing number of ball-playing youngsters Downtown without a place to play. “We really don’t have any other arrangements we can make,” said Schuck. “We want to find a solution, so the buildings can be built and the kids can play.”
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