Staten Island Yankees will get new impulse

When the Staten Island Yankees and the Brooklyn Cyclones (Mets A Short Season affiliate) joined the New York – Penn League in 1999, the Cyclones were an instant success. The Yankees on their turn not so….

The promotion of the team to the New York – Penn League was promising. People would flock into Richmond County Bank Ballpark, when they disembarked from the Staten Island Ferry (next to the stadium). And the breathtaking view of the New York skyline would draw big crowds. Well, it didn’t.

Now under a new owner for a few years, the team has an improved front office with Will Smith (no, not the actor), who was GM of the Trenton Thunder (Class AA; Eastern League). His condition to join the team was to buy into ownership.

The stadium of the Baby Bombers, like the Staten Island Yankees are called as well, will be flanked by two new attractions. A Ferris wheel and a new outlet center. The Ferris wheel will be opened in 2016 and the outlet center in 2017. Especially the latter must draw a lot of people to the area.

The scale modell on the right, shows that the Ferris wheel will be huge.

You can only wonder if people come to shop, if they are willing to spend a night at the ballpark afterwards. But hey, you have to try something. To get some revenue.