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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Romke Hoogwaerts, Member of the Public, on Soccer Field Allocation in New York City Parks
3:33:22
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Romke Hoogwaerts proposes converting some baseball fields in Central Park to multipurpose soccer pitches in preparation for the 2026 World Cup and to meet the needs of New York City's diverse population. He argues that soccer fields are versatile spaces that can accommodate various sports and cultural events.
- Suggests converting six fields in the Great Lawn to soccer pitches, while preserving two ball fields
- Proposes converting half of the ball fields in North Meadows to urban farms
- Highlights the potential financial opportunities, including using the $20 million EDC budget for World Cup fan events and attracting sponsorships
Romke Hoogwaerts
3:33:22
Hi.
3:33:24
Hope you can hear me.
3:33:25
Thanks for this distinguished council for offering me the opportunity to speak today.
3:33:29
Thank you, chair Krishnan.
3:33:30
I know that you're a Mets fan, so I apologize in advance for what I'm about to propose.
3:33:34
New York is set to host the World Cup in 2026, and yet constituents are constantly challenged to find spaces to play.
3:33:40
Of course, New York City has limited space, but I would like to argue that we should reconsider the usage of a few sites that we already have.
3:33:46
Soccer is unique in that you can play with just two people.
3:33:49
Bring a ball to a pitch, and people will come together to play.
3:33:51
It's magnetic.
3:33:52
Our city is full of soccer fanatics.
3:33:54
Soccer pitches are remarkably amenable to other sports like American football, lacrosse, cricket, ultimate frisbee, and various cultural events.
3:34:02
Soccer fields are basically giant multipurpose playgrounds.
3:34:05
Now, of course, baseball is a vital historic American sport.
3:34:08
But as our city grows, becomes more international, and critically is hosting the upcoming World Cup, it may be time to reconsider the allocation of our sports fields in our city parks.
3:34:17
Let's look at Central Park.
3:34:18
It has 25 baseball fields and not one soccer pitch.
3:34:23
I would like to propose converting the six fields within the Great Lawn to multipurpose soccer pitches, keep two ball fields keeping two ball fields just above the ring.
3:34:33
I would also like to propose that half of the ball ballfields in North Meadows be converted.
3:34:38
However, for those, I would suggest urban farms inspired by the efforts of Amber Tam.
3:34:43
As for Heckscher ballfields in the South, those are historic and should absolutely be preserved.
3:34:48
I am a first generation American.
3:34:50
I've lived there for sixteen years, and I love this city's soccer community.
3:34:55
I've played in paid leagues, free pickup games, and tournaments across Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn.
3:35:00
I've even had the pleasure to play alongside Newcomers Football Club, a crew of players mostly consisting of asylum seekers passing through the shelter system.
3:35:08
It's a reminder that public access to soccer is a fantastic way to bring citizens together.
3:35:13
Let me close out by mentioning financial opportunities.
3:35:16
This proposal would allow the parks department to make use of the $20,000,000 budget EDC has allocated for fan events related to the World Cup.
3:35:23
Central Park is an ideal location for such events considering all the tourists that will be there between games.
3:35:29
And finally, this would also create opportunities for lucrative sponsorships, potentially offsetting any costs this conversion would accrue.
3:35:36
Had he been alive today, I would like to think that Charles B.
3:35:38
Stover would have loved this proposal.
3:35:40
Thank you for your time and consideration.
3:35:42
And lastly, for the record, let's go Mets.
3:35:46
If I still have a second, I just wanna shout out Hattie Carthin and her tree planting initiatives in the late sixties, the work that she was able to do with mayor Lindsey.
3:35:55
She was able to plant 1,500 trees in a matter of, like, two years or three years or something like that.
3:36:00
It's an a testament to what we can do if we work together with the mayoral's office.
3:36:05
It's absolutely possible.
3:36:06
The idea that it would take nine years to plant trees is absolutely ridiculous.
3:36:09
Just wanna throw that out there as well.
3:36:10
Thank you to everybody today.