NYC Parks is preparing to issue a Request for Proposals to hand part of Astoria Park's public tennis courts to a private, for-profit LLC — which would enclose them in a seasonal inflatable bubble for the next 15 years.

We, the neighbors who use these courts, are asking NYC Parks not to issue this RFP, and instead pursue public-first alternatives to improve Astoria's courts.

What's actually at stake

The Astoria RFP hasn't been issued yet, so the exact terms aren't public. But McCarren Tennis Center in Brooklyn is the closest comparable public-park bubble concession, and the picture there — backed by the operator's own rate sheets and booking system — is clear:

• It gets expensive, fast. Today, an Astoria Park season permit costs $100 for the entire outdoor season, and the courts are free outside the season. Under a bubble model, an hour on a covered court at McCarren costs $50–$100, and private lessons run $193–$300/hour.
• Even if you can pay, you often can't get on a court. The operator is a for-profit business, so the math pulls toward higher-margin programming. A 4-person clinic at $110/head brings in $440/hour per court — versus a $100 public-rental — so vendor clinics and reserved blocks fill prime time across all 7 McCarren courts, and the few open public slots vanish within seconds of the 7-day booking window opening.
• It's not a "winter" bubble — it's up for more than half the year. McCarren's bubble goes up in mid-October and stays up through mid-April — roughly 7 months, overlapping about three months of the official NYC outdoor permit season (first Saturday in April through the Sunday before Thanksgiving). October averages 63°F, November 51°F, March 46°F, April 57°F — perfectly playable shoulder seasons that would be replaced by paid indoor tennis. Astoria's outdoor courts have stayed in use through every winter for 20+ years.
• The "free outdoor courts" won't be what they sound like. Officials describe the proposal as covering 8 of the 14 courts, leaving 6 free and outdoors. But based on the proposed footprint, the remaining courts may be blocked off by admin trailers, check-in structures, and heating equipment. And on a warm October weekend, 6 courts won't be remotely enough for a neighborhood that today plays on all 14.
• The park itself shrinks. Mature shade trees come down to clear anchoring and equipment space. A pair of red-tailed hawks that has nested for years on the RFK Bridge directly above the courts loses its hunting ground to industrial blowers running 24/7 and exterior lighting through every winter night. And a real concession needs admin offices, restrooms, lockers, and a pro shop — none of which fits inside the cited 8-court footprint, meaning either more parkland gets carved out or more "free" courts get converted to support buildings.

A better path exists

If the goal is to improve Astoria's courts, there are well-established public-first ways to do it:

• Community tennis associations. Fort Greene Park is currently resurfacing all 6 of its courts at a cost of $348,000 — fully funded through community fundraising and USTA grants for public-court refurbishment.
• Alternative grant funding. McCarren's courts were resurfaced in 2010 through the USTA / Amex Fresh Courts Initiative, a grant program designed specifically for public courts. (Note: that grassroots resurfacing was led by the McCarren Tennis Association, a community non-profit — not the for-profit LLC that later won the bubble concession.)
• City capital funding. Mayor Mamdani has committed to increased investment in NYC parks. Dedicated city funding for court resurfacing should be pursued before turning to a 15-year private concession.

What we're asking

We're asking NYC Parks to withdraw plans for a private bubble concession at Astoria Park and instead pursue these public-first alternatives.

Public outdoor recreation is already one of the scarcest things in New York City. Once 10–15 years of parkland is signed away to a private operator, it doesn't come back.

Read the full research and source material →