Juniper Valley Park: Difference between revisions

'''Juniper Valley Park''' is a {{convert|55.247|acre|m2|adj=on}} public [[park]] located within [[Middle Village, Queens]], [[New York (state)|New York]], [[United States]]. The park is bordered by Juniper Boulevard North on the north, Juniper Boulevard South on the south, Lutheran Avenue on the west, and Dry Harbor Road on the east; it is split into two parts by 80th Street.

[[Image:JuniperValWinter.JPG|220px|left|thumb|View of Juniper Valley Park in the winter, facing west towards [[Manhattan]].]]

In March 1931, [[New York City Comptroller]] [[CharlesAdam W. Berry]]Sandler, suggested a competing proposal that would instead use Rothstein's land in Juniper Valley as a public park.<ref>{{cite web | title=ROTHSTEIN PROPERTY MAY BECOME PARK; Berry Recommends Purchase of 83 Acres in Queens From Gambler's Estate at 'Bargain' Price. | website=The New York Times | date=March 7, 1931 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1931/03/07/archives/rothstein-property-may-become-park-berry-recommends-purchase-of-83.html | access-date=October 30, 2018}}</ref> The original plan was to acquire {{convert|84|acre|ha}} at a cost of $475,000 (though the land was appraised at $624,375), but in August 1931, a revised plan was submitted that would acquire {{convert|73.25|acre|ha}} at a cost of $418,551.50.<ref>{{cite news | title=Clip Rothstein Park Price $182,000 in new Offer to City Board |page=47 | work=[[Brooklyn Daily Eagle]] |via=[[Brooklyn Public Library]]; [[newspapers.com]] | date=August 23, 1931 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2756217/the_brooklyn_daily_eagle/ | access-date=October 30, 2018}}</ref> New York City acquired Juniper Swamp at the rate of $5,700 per acre as settlement with the Rothstein estate for back taxes, and immediately tagged it for development as a public park.<ref name="StandardUnion">[http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/NYBROOKLYN/2002-11/1037734611 Brooklyn Standard Union-March 7, 1931-News] Accessed May 16, 2008.</ref> In 1935, the [[New York City Board of Estimate]] approved the purchase of {{convert|50|acre|ha}} for Juniper Valley Park at a cost of $250,000.<ref>{{cite web | title=ROTHSTEIN TRACT TO BE A CITY PARK; Estimate Board Approves Plan to Buy 50 Acres at $250,000 by Canceling Back Taxes | website=The New York Times | date=March 9, 1935 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1935/03/09/archives/rothstein-tract-to-be-a-city-park-estimate-board-approves-plan-to.html | access-date=October 30, 2018}}</ref> News of the park, coupled with improvements of [[Works Progress Administration]] (WPA) efforts, ushered in a wave of housing growth in the vicinity that continued through the 1960s.<ref name="qw" /><ref>{{cite web | title=OLD FARMS QUICKLY TRANSFORMED INTO HOME CENTERS; FARMS GIVE WAY TO QUEENS HOMES Many Old Holdings Have Been Transformed Into Neat Residence Centers NORTH SHORE DEAL CLOSED New Home Groups Completed in Many Sections to Meet Ownership Demand Buys Old Farm Tract FARMS GIVE WAY TO QUEENS HOMES New Home Groups | website=The New York Times | date=October 31, 1937 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1937/10/31/archives/old-farms-quickly-transformed-into-home-centers-farms-give-way-to.html | access-date=October 31, 2018}}</ref> Not long after the park's creation was announced, developer [[Stewart Willey]] purchased 1,500 lots upon which he would develop houses.<ref>{{cite web | title=QUEENS FARM AREA BOUGHT FOR HOMES; Tract of 1,500 Lots in South Elmhurst Acquired for Low-Cost Houses HELD BY GERMAN FAMILIES Property Bought by Stewart Willey Adjoins the New Juniper Park Old German Farm Center | website=The New York Times | date=June 6, 1937 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1937/06/06/archives/queens-farm-area-bought-for-homes-tract-of-1500-lots-in-south.html | access-date=October 31, 2018}}</ref> By 1938, eight developers were proposing to build 1,592 homes at a total cost of $8.75 million.<ref>{{cite web | title=HOUSES SURROUND NEW JUNIPER PARK; Fifteen Residential Projects Under Way on Old-Time Elmhurst Farms 1,592 DWELLINGS PLANNED Stewart Willey Building Firm Proposing to Erect 600 Medium-Cost Houses Assembled Adjoining Land | website=The New York Times | date=September 25, 1938 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1938/09/25/archives/houses-surround-new-juniper-park-fifteen-residential-projects-under.html | access-date=October 31, 2018}}</ref> The WPA started constructing houses in the area in 1941.<ref>{{cite web | last=Bennett | first=Charles G. | title=Rothstein's Shoddy Village Will Become A Playground for Queens Residents | website=The New York Times | date=June 8, 1941 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1941/06/08/archives/rothsteins-shoddy-village-will-become-a-playground-for-queens.html | access-date=October 31, 2018}}</ref> To accommodate the new houses, Eliot Avenue was widened and extended to the [[Interstate 495 (New York)|Horace Harding Expressway]] (now Interstate 495).<ref>{{cite news | title=Large Tract in Elmhurst to be Developed |page=51 |work=[[Brooklyn Daily Eagle]] |via=[[Brooklyn Public Library]]; [[newspapers.com]] | date=June 12, 1938 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2031926/the_brooklyn_daily_eagle/ | access-date=October 31, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=ELIOT AVENUE ENLARGED; Builder Says New Roadway Will Benefit Elmhurst Homes | website=The New York Times | date=April 2, 1939 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1939/04/02/archives/eliot-avenue-enlarged-builder-says-new-roadway-will-benefit.html | access-date=October 31, 2018}}</ref>

In 1977, the parking lots were closed due to excessive noise at night.<ref name="jpca"/> The lots were removed in the 1990s. Around 1997, funding for a roller hockey rink was allocated for Juniper Valley Park. Although the rink had been proposed during the early 1990s, there was controversy over where the rink should be installed within the park.<ref>{{cite news | title=New rink site eyed |page=353 |work=[[New York Daily News]] |via=[[Newspapers.com]] | date=December 3, 1997 | last=Bertrand | first=Donald | url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/24989789/new_rink_site_eyed/ | access-date=October 31, 2018}}</ref> The roller rink opened in 1999 at a cost of $600,000.<ref>{{cite news | title=New roller rink's a winner |first=Donald |last=Bertrand |page=333 |work=[[New York Daily News]] |via=[[Newspapers.com]] | date=September 10, 1999 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/24989880/new_roller_rinks_a_winner/ | access-date=October 31, 2018}}</ref> The baseball fields were renovated, but this soon led to accumulations of [[ponding]] because of improper drainage.<ref>{{cite web | last=Kilgannon | first=Corey | title=NEIGHBORHOOD REPORT: MIDDLE VILLAGE; At This Field, the Midville Team Is More Like Mudville | website=The New York Times | date=May 10, 1998 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/05/10/nyregion/neighborhood-report-middle-village-this-field-midville-team-more-like-mudville.html | access-date=October 31, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title=New fields of dreams look more like Mudville |page=358 |work=[[New York Daily News]] |via=[[Newspapers.com]] | date=May 27, 1998 | last=Bertrand | first=Donald | url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/24989942/new_fields_of_dreams_look_more_like/ | access-date=October 31, 2018}}</ref>