The Cord Meyer Development Co. is in negotiations to purchase the stadium at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, Queens, and has plans to redevelop it residentially and retain its facade and arches, according to an article today in The Wall Street Journal.
The article said that Cord Meyer "could pay as much as $9 million" for the 2.5-acre stadium site and noted that an e-mail sent by Nancy VanDerbeck, the club's secretary, July 31 to club members said "the facade of the stadium, arches, etc., will be retained and have been incorporated into the design.
"The final purchase price would depend on how many condo units are approved by the city. An informational meeting to be attended by an architect with a model and renderings is scheduled Aug. 10. A vote on the sale, requiring approval by two-thirds of members with voting rights, is planned for Aug. 19."
The article said that Cord Meyer declined to comment on specifics, but said via a spokeswoman that the concept for the project was "preserving history, providing for the future. Think Rome and the coliseums."
The company helped build the Forest Hills section of Queens about a century ago, but its current portfolio includes office and retail space, according to its website. In recent years, the article continued, it built the Windsor, a 22-story residential tower - billed as the first new-construction condos to be offered in Forest Hills in more than a decade.
Cord Meyer has "a good history in Forest Hills," said Frank Gulluscio, district manager for Queens Community Board Six. "They've been here a number of years. They've always had fair communication with community boards in their development projects."
The stadium has seen little use since the U.S. Open moved to nearby Flushing Meadows after more than six decades in Forest Hills. Sale proceeds would be used to retire $2.85 million in debt and help fund future projects.
The horseshoe-shaped, 15,000-seat stadium also hosted other events such as a concert by the Beatles but several years ago the U. S. Open moved to the new National Tennis Center, a slightly larger facility, also in Queens.
According to a notice posted at the 825-member West Side Tennis Club, an informational meeting about the potential sale is scheduled for Aug. 10, with a vote by members planned for Aug. 19, the article said.
The tennis club was founded in 1892 and it has a large Tudor-style clubhouse surrounded by more than 30 tennis courts.
The site is within walking distance of an express subway stop, the Long Island Rail Road and the Austin Street shopping area brimming with brand-name retailers and restaurants including Victoria's Secret and Barnes & Noble.
The article said that Cord Meyer "could pay as much as $9 million" for the 2.5-acre stadium site and noted that an e-mail sent by Nancy VanDerbeck, the club's secretary, July 31 to club members said "the facade of the stadium, arches, etc., will be retained and have been incorporated into the design.
"The final purchase price would depend on how many condo units are approved by the city. An informational meeting to be attended by an architect with a model and renderings is scheduled Aug. 10. A vote on the sale, requiring approval by two-thirds of members with voting rights, is planned for Aug. 19."
The article said that Cord Meyer declined to comment on specifics, but said via a spokeswoman that the concept for the project was "preserving history, providing for the future. Think Rome and the coliseums."
The company helped build the Forest Hills section of Queens about a century ago, but its current portfolio includes office and retail space, according to its website. In recent years, the article continued, it built the Windsor, a 22-story residential tower - billed as the first new-construction condos to be offered in Forest Hills in more than a decade.
Cord Meyer has "a good history in Forest Hills," said Frank Gulluscio, district manager for Queens Community Board Six. "They've been here a number of years. They've always had fair communication with community boards in their development projects."
The stadium has seen little use since the U.S. Open moved to nearby Flushing Meadows after more than six decades in Forest Hills. Sale proceeds would be used to retire $2.85 million in debt and help fund future projects.
The horseshoe-shaped, 15,000-seat stadium also hosted other events such as a concert by the Beatles but several years ago the U. S. Open moved to the new National Tennis Center, a slightly larger facility, also in Queens.
According to a notice posted at the 825-member West Side Tennis Club, an informational meeting about the potential sale is scheduled for Aug. 10, with a vote by members planned for Aug. 19, the article said.
The tennis club was founded in 1892 and it has a large Tudor-style clubhouse surrounded by more than 30 tennis courts.
The site is within walking distance of an express subway stop, the Long Island Rail Road and the Austin Street shopping area brimming with brand-name retailers and restaurants including Victoria's Secret and Barnes & Noble.
Architecture Critic
Carter Horsley
Since 1997, Carter B. Horsley has been the editorial director of CityRealty. He began his journalistic career at The New York Times in 1961 where he spent 26 years as a reporter specializing in real estate & architectural news. In 1987, he became the architecture critic and real estate editor of The New York Post.
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