Forest Hills Stadium, Former Site Of US Open, Denied Landmark Status
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- New York's storied Forest Hills Stadium has been denied landmark status.
It once was the site of the United States Open tennis championships, music concerts by the Beatles, Rolling Stones and Frank Sinatra and was featured in the Alfred Hitchcock movie Strangers On A Train.
The city Landmarks Preservation Commission cited the dilapidated condition of the 15,000-seat stadium and its buildings in denying the designation.
Supporters fear that without the designation the stadium could be sold for redevelopment or torn down.
The stadium sits within the private Tudor-style West Side Tennis Club. Last October, the club denied a proposal seeking to demolish the stadium and erect condos in its place.
Chairman Michael Perlman had said, "Disney-esque condos would have torn the heart out of Forest Hills."
Arthur Ashe won the Open there in 1968, becoming the first black man to win a Grand Slam tournament.
The Open championships were held there from 1915 through 1977. They moved to Flushing Meadows in 1978.
The Rego-Forest Preservation Council says it will continue its preservation campaign.
What do you think of the decision? Sound off below
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