In order to build a Major League Soccer stadium on 13 acres of land in Flushing-Meadows Corona Park, MLS officials would be required to replace the lost parkland taken up by the stadium with new green space. But DNAinfo reports that finding adequate, clean space is proving to be a problem. One site being seriously considered sits alongside the polluted Flushing River in Willets Point. Owned by the MTA, the 12-acre site has poor soil conditions, and it’s likely toxic since the river was used as a dumping ground for sewage and motor oil. MLS officials are also considering a site three miles away in Rego Park—the same 16.6 acre site of the abandoned Rockaway Beach Long Island Rail Road tracks that local groups want to turn into a High Line-esque park.

Read more: http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2012/10/09/mls_struggling_to_find_replacement_parkland_for_stadium.php