This Flushing park is New York City's most overlooked green space, says new report

"The think tank's new study, The Park Queens Deserves , argues that while Central Park and Prospect Park have enjoyed splashy upgrades and private donor love, Flushing Meadows has limped along on just $100 million in city funds since 2012-over half of which went to sprucing up the New York State Pavilion, a relic that doesn't exactly help anyone trying to play soccer on a swampy field."

"The report paints a familiar picture for anyone who has dodged puddles around Meadow Lake or tripped on cracked pathways: one downpour can knock out whole stretches of the park for days. Even the Queens Night Market, a beloved summer staple, sometimes cancels because a tenth of an inch of rain turns its site into a lagoon. "A little rain puts parts of the park out of commission," said architect Arthi Krishnamoorthy, a local resident and Queens Museum board member."

"To fix it, CUF lays out 20 recommendations, ranging from practical (give the city's Department of Environmental Protection, not Parks, responsibility for busted water mains) to audacious (covering highways that wall the park off from surrounding neighborhoods). There's even a proposal for a dedicated "Flood Fund" that would capture revenue from Citi Field, the U.S. Open and other private operators inside the park and funnel it back into drainage upgrades."

Flushing Meadows Corona Park covers nearly 900 acres and endures decades of chronic underinvestment, decaying infrastructure and near-constant flooding. City capital spending since 2012 totals roughly $100 million, with more than half directed to the New York State Pavilion rather than field or drainage improvements. Heavy rain can shut down large park areas for days and forces cancellations of events such as the Queens Night Market. Recommended remedies include transferring responsibility for broken water mains to the Department of Environmental Protection, capping surrounding highways to reconnect neighborhoods, creating a dedicated Flood Fund financed by Citi Field and U.S. Open revenues, and implementing prioritized drainage and redesign projects.

Read at Time Out New York