Vote nears for sale of Queens tennis club 

West Side Tennis Club

Members of the West Side Tennis Club in Queens will vote Sept. 23 on whether to sell their decaying stadium, which hosted the U.S. Open for more than 60 years, according to the Wall Street Journal. Last week, club members distributed a letter questioning the sales process, which was rebutted on Sunday by Ken Parker, the club president. Under the current proposal, the club would sell its 2.4-acre parcel to Cord Meyer Development for up to $9 million, which plans to transform the stadium into luxury condos, while preserving its façade and arches.

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The club’s current leadership says it can’t afford to spend $15 million or more to restore a stadium that is barely used, though the proceeds would help revitalize the site. “Should the sale be approved, it is expected that major capital improvements will be made to our club, bringing the club back to the level of first rate,” Parker wrote in his rebuttal. Critics say the land should be worth more, given its location in Forest Hills Gardens, a community of multi-million dollar mansions, and they also take issue with the proposal’s “no-build zone” covering another 3.8 acres of club property. Cord Meyer will present the plans again at a meeting Thursday. [WSJ]