Mayor Asks Sean "Diddy" Combs To Help Restore Memorial Field

MOUNT VERNON, NY — Mount Vernon Mayor Richard Thomas is trying to get help from hip-hop legend Sean "Diddy" Combs to restore Memorial Field. It's another wrinkle in the convoluted fight over renovations to the derelict sports and entertainment facility that was used as an illegal dump.

Westchester County has threatened to withdraw the money it promised if the city won't honor the Intermunicipal Agreement it signed in 2009 for financing to restore Memorial Field to its former glory. The city did nothing for years. County officials have also threatened to sue if city officials won't come to an agreement over allowing the county to complete the work.

Thomas was in Los Angeles last week. He said he was continuing collaboration talks with the entertainment mogul to grow Mount Vernon's sports and entertainment economy. Combs and Thomas met earlier this year in Miami, Thomas said.

"Talks included restoring glory at Memorial Field, making it a premier east coast destination for Olympic athletes and local champions to train, compete and connect with the community," Thomas said in a press release. "They also touched upon the need to revitalize the stadium (and surrounding area) to be a major player in the entertainment space, hosting the next generation of acts who aspire to reach the realm of the Jackson 5, James Brown, and Nina Simone, who each performed at the iconic park.

"I thank Diddy for the invitation to join him at his home (again) for an important conversation on changing Mount Vernon for good. He and his children, who played Razorback football, have fond memories of Memorial Field and desire to see it come back life for the kids, seniors and families of our rising city. Memorial Field is Mount Vernon's 'field of dreams' and it is deeply encouraging to know that one of the biggest entertainers on the planet, Diddy, is open to joining the team to reclaim Mount Vernon's destiny as "Money Earnin' Mount Vernon" in sports and entertainment."

But the never-ending infighting between Thomas and the City Council is now an additional part of the problem. The City Council is suing the mayor for evicting the Kela Tennis Club from the facility, saying the mayor had people tear part of the club down in the middle of the night.

The mayor pointed out that before his election the city council paid out $1.2 million for demolition at Memorial Field that never occurred and "misspent" millions more building a tennis court in the middle of the track, inches away from the end zone of the football field. And he pointed out that the state Department of Environmental Conservation had issued violations for years before decreeing that the city had to clean up decades of illegal dumping or face hefty fines, as much as $37,000 a day per violation.

Kela Tennis owed half-a-million in back rent, Thomas said. Plus, the DEC requires the illegal debris below the tennis courts be removed. Plus, he said, "We vigorously worked to convince the DEC to allow for one summer of tennis while we addressed other compliance issues at the site. We delivered. Kela Tennis and the City Council reneged. Despite this, as another sign of good faith, we made clear that once work commenced in 2018 we would remain committed to building back the tennis courts with a bubble in the same year along with an 8-lane track and field for all sports. Now these possibilities are in jeopardy because of petty politics."

Westchester County Executive George Latimer had his own take on Combs, the fighting, and the field:

PHOTO: Mayor Thomas meets with Sean "Diddy" Combs and singer Fergie regarding Memorial Field and the work to reopen the park. Joining the Mayor on this economic development initiative are Olympic athlete Deajah Stevens and two-time college record holder in track Rai Benjamin. Stevens and Benjamin both began their athletic careers at Memorial Field and are part of the team to #FreeMemorialField and return it to public use./ Mayor Richard Thomas