1998 Stadium Renovation Proposal

Did you know that in 1998 when the Yankees were considering moving to the west side of Manhattan, or even worse, New Jersey, Bronx Borough President, Fernando Ferrer, proposed a renovation plan for the current Yankee Stadium? I didn't. Earlier this week StadiumPage.com posted several pictures, and an article from the New York Times about the proposal. Here is a part of the article from the Times:

Mr. Ferrer's proposal, called Yankee Village, comes a month before George M. Steinbrenner 3d, the Yankees' principal owner, is expected to announce his decision on where the team will play after its lease with the city expires in 2002. Mr. Steinbrenner has long threatened to move his team to New Jersey or Manhattan, complaining that the Bronx stadium has too few luxury boxes and parking spaces, and that the neighborhood is unpleasant, unsafe and a traffic nightmare.

Mr. Ferrer's plan, which he commissioned himself and which combines elements of several previous stadium proposals, would cost an estimated $535 million, far less than any new stadium. But the chances of Mr. Ferrer's single-handedly settling the issue seem far-fetched, given his fierce and frequent criticism of the two people whose support for any stadium plan is essential: Mr. Steinbrenner and Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani.

''Our proposal,'' Mr. Ferrer said, ''will present to fans and visitors a year-round entertainment venue that will begin to return to the city the enormous investment the city will, and has already made, in the New York Yankees. It's fan-friendly, fiscally prudent and answers the legitimate concerns raised by the Yankees and by fans.''

Under Mr. Ferrer's proposal, the 75-year-old stadium would regain its historic entrance porticos, perimeter wall at the upper deck and distinctive copper friezes, while a new, glass-enclosed concourse would be built on the outside wall. Babe Ruth Plaza would be moved to the west side of the 50,000-seat stadium, where restaurants, sports shops, batting cages and a museum would provide year-round attractions. Fans would arrive and depart from an expanded ferry terminal, a renovated subway station, a new Metro-North station and newly configured highway ramps.

(pics from StadiumPage.com)

I wouldn't have wanted to see this exact plan happen, because there are certain aspects of the plan that I don't like at all, but I wouldn't have minded seeing them renovate the current stadium instead of moving to a new place.