Jets to Queens! Okay, It's Not Final Yet

The NY Jets have taken a huge step toward building a new stadium in Flushing Meadows Park. The NY Times reports: "The Jets formally told the National Football League this week that they are pursuing plans to build a $1.35 billion stadium in Queens."

Yahooooooo! But it's not a done deal yet. The Jets are still negotiating with the Meadowlands, and the Queens-plan could just be a bargaining chip. The stadium would be to the northeast of Shea Stadium, which sounds more like the Willets Point Iron Triangle, than Flushing Meadows Park.

The Queens Civic Congress opposes the plan, mostly it seems because park land would be taken. But if the territory is really northeast of Shea Stadium, that's no big deal. That land is hardly used. The core of the park is around the Unisphere and around Meadow Lake.

Here's my dream. The Jets and Mets build their stadiums next to one another with as much shared parking and facilities as possible, but New Yorkers aren't taxed to build these cash-machines. And the sports teams work to benefit the whole of Flushing Meadows Park, and we get access to the smaller lake, south of Meadow Lake, restored.

• Jets Back to Queens? (Newsday)
• Jets Leaving Door Open to Return to Queens? (NY 1)