Shea Stadium Loses Its Lease

BUSHWICK, BROOKLYN — Shea Stadium, a beloved DIY spot that has been bogged down by zoning violation citations and shutdowns, has lost its lease, the venue announced this week.

“We were set to file our first paperwork with the city when our landlord, who had supported our cause since day one, revealed he was no longer on board with our plans,” Shea Stadium organizers wrote in a Facebook post Thursday.

“Without his signature, it’s impossible for us to move forward with our mission to bring Shea back.”

The Shea Stadium team — who shut down their 20 Meadow St. venue in early 2017 because of outstanding zoning violations — had raised almost $100,000 on Kickstarter to pay for necessary renovations, permits and legal fees when the landlord announced his plans to install a nightclub in the building instead, according to Shea Stadium.

The landlord, who was not immediately available to comment, had supported Shea Stadium’s campaign to return to the building’s second floor up until a week ago, organizers said.

Shea Stadium was therefore unable to file necessary paperwork with the city but promised to use their Kickstarter funds to find a new location, the owners wrote.

“This will likely be a long process with less concrete timelines,” they said on Facebook, adding that a new venue might not be able to open until 2018.

“Finding a new location can take months and we plan to honor the faith you've put in us by finding the best home for what you’ve come to know and love from our crew.”

The Shea Stadium representatives, who signed their letter “A N L & The Shea Stadium Family,” thanked their patrons for support and opened the conversation up to suggestions about where to look for the stadium’s new home.

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Image via Georgia/Flickr.com