Forest Hills Stadium To Pay Neighborhood Group Up To $18K Per Concert Under New Deal

FOREST HILLS— Forest Hills Stadium will continue hosting up to 28 concerts a season through 2040 under a settlement intended to end years of legal battles over noise, traffic and other disruptions in the Queens neighborhood.

The agreement resolves all pending lawsuits between the Forest Hills Gardens Corporation, a neighborhood group, and the stadium’s owner, West Side Tennis Club, and operator, Tiebreaker Productions.

The groups announced the settlement jointly.

Under the deal, Tiebreaker will pay the neighborhood group $15,000 for each concert during the first four years, with payments rising to as much as $18,000 per show.

The company will also make a one-time payment of $275,000, part of which will fund restoration and beautification projects.

The dispute escalated as residents complained about concert noise and traffic.

The Gardens Corporation filed multiple lawsuits seeking to stop or limit shows.

At one point, the group refused to let the New York Police Department close private roadways to manage concert traffic, prompting the department to temporarily withhold sound permits.

The settlement sets a curfew for amplified sound, designates routes for concert traffic and moves rideshare pickups outside Forest Hills Gardens.

The curfew is 10 p.m. for most concerts. On Fridays and Saturdays in July, shows may run until 10:30 p.m. with city approval.