Forest Hills Stadium’s summer concert series back on with ‘conditional approval’: city officials
Forest Hills Stadium’s summer concert series is back on with a “conditional approval” from the NYPD, city officials said Monday night — after a feud between the Queens venue and disgruntled neighbors threatened to silence all its musical performances this year.
A breakthrough between the parties was reached that will allow the nearly 20 scheduled shows to go on as planned as long as the outdoor attraction — which is on the property of the West Side Tennis Club — meets various terms, City Hall officials said in an email to The Post.
The approval was quickly hailed by the venue and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, who noted Tiebreaker Productions, which run the shows, would use private security teams on privately owned roads around the stadium to monitor conditions.
“Forest Hills Stadium is a cultural crown jewel of our borough, bringing diverse crowds from all over the world to Queens every summer through the unifying power of music,” Richards said in a statement
“This historic venue is emblematic of all that makes Queens great, and I’m thrilled to say we’ve struck a deal to ensure the shows will go on in 2025 as planned.”
Richards, a Democrat, jumped into the Forest Hills fracas last month and claimed that annoyed neighbors, including residents of the nearby Forest Hills Gardens Corporation (FHGC), concerned about noise and quality of life issues, didn’t want black people in the wealthy community.
Last month, the NYPD told West Side Tennis Club, which owns the stadium, that it could not issue the venue sound amplification permits until the FHGC allowed cops to access private roads in the surrounding area.
But a City Hall spokesperson said Monday that the NYPD has preliminarily signed off on an “alternative security plan” for the first concert on May 31 that will involve a “comprehensive private security strategy.”
“The NYPD’s conditional approval allows concerts to continue this summer if the stadium meets certain conditions, such as compliance with city noise code and adequate security measures,” the spokesperson said.
Such measures include the stadium’s private security deploying blocker cars and barricades to shut down private streets around the venue three hours before a concert and one hour afterward, city officials said.
The sound permit can also be yanked back if noise levels exceed what is legally allowed, according to officials.
The venue celebrated the news in an announcement without mentioning the caveats.
“As anticipated, we’re pleased to announce that the City of New York has given Forest Hills Stadium the green light for our 2025 concert season to proceed as planned,” the venue posted online Monday.
“Each year, our team works closely with the local community and elected officials to bring world class performances at one of the most iconic music venues in the country.”
There are 19 shows — including performances by Phish, the Black Keys, and Mumford and Sons — scheduled between May 31 and the end of October.
It was not immediately clear what the FHGC thought of the new plan, though its leadership told residents last week it was in mediation with the venue.
“FHGC values and respects all parties involved in this matter. Our primary concern has always been to minimize the impact of the concerts on the surrounding community,” part of the letter obtained by The Post states.
“Noise, crowd and traffic management, sanitation, and access to homes and businesses are real and pressing issues that must be addressed to ensure a safe, respectful, and successful concert season for everyone.”
The Concerned Citizens of Forest Hills, a neighborhood group that has previously spoken out against the stadium’s illegal noise levels, slammed the news that the concert season would progress without further mediation.?
“This isn’t about concerts.? It’s about the rule of law in New York City.? The stadium and the tennis club should have to follow the same rules as everybody else.? They shouldn’t be allowed to violate noise and zoning codes and?avoid reasonable restrictions, like no ten-hour events and no concerts on school nights.”
One local who lives near the venue told The Post she’s not against shows at the stadium, but wants the attraction to be more respectful and host fewer concerts.
“There needs to be someone corralling this, it’s chaotic. It wasn’t this chaotic before,” said the woman, who did not want to be identified. “It feels completely out of control.”
Additional reporting by Katherine Donlevy.
