I’m talking about the old Yankee Stadium and its Gate 2, and there is a push to save just that wall as a gateway to the new park.  Pete Caldera details the fight with the Parks Commission over the design and shares news that the fight isn’t over. 

To backtrack a bit, the new Yankee Stadium was build with tax payer money in exchange for the old stadium land, plus other parcels of land around the Bronx that would be turned into park land.  The demolition- and decisions about the land design- have been extremely delayedt that the neighborhoods that expected park last April will be lucky if they have them by April 2011.  Some of the delay has come from the city and the Yankees trying to sell off every piece of the old stadium possible prior to demolition.  Other delays have come simply from delays in planning. 

The Save the Yankee Gate group has put together a good plan.  They are not suggesting that a large part of the place gets saved, and really have picked a piece that speaks to the new stadiumas well as to the old.  Here is their plan, please follow the links inside the page to see what they want to do.  It may cost a lot of money, though it will obviously cost the city more money than a private citizen because of the necessary bidding process.  Its too bad the Save the Gate group can’t find a Yankee fan with a construction company to do waive the labor costs on reinforcing the support for the gate.

My bet is no one can accurately estimate what it would take to keep the gate still standing.  Additionally, I bet there is some asbestos abatement that needs to occur if it remains. 

Nonetheless, the group is right about letting these sights from our childhood disappear.  People stroll by the  Ebbets Field wall, now outside a public housing building, just to catcha glimpse of the history despite the fact the wall isn’t original.  Imagine how nice it would be to catch that glimpse of the House the Ruth Built.