Nerds and Rockers to Face Off in a Queens Parking Lot – The New York Times.

…this year, the organizers of the Faire, scheduled for Oct. 1 and 2, have run into the extraordinary obstacle of a professional baseball team in possession of a sweetheart lease underwritten by the public. The New York Mets and the team’s various business arms control a million-square-foot parking lot — built by the public, on publicly owned land, but operated by the Mets, who collect virtually all the money from it.
Parking is New York bullion.

“We were informed that Founders Entertainment intends to produce a massive music event that will take away virtually all of the parking lot space at Citi Field on the same weekend as Maker Faire,” Dan Wempa, a vice president of the Hall of Science, said.

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This is interesting, this weekend was Maker Faire in the Bay Area, be sure to check our coverage, videos and more! So the Mets have rented out the parking lot that would normally be used for Maker Faire. Kinda bonkers that the Mets even have the ability to do this. The music festival will make more money in the parking lot, than parking fees for Maker Faire, but that’s not the point, the Mets are a baseball team, focus on that, not making it nearly impossible for a learning, sharing and sci/tech event to be held. If there’s no parking for tens of thousands of Maker Faire attendees, it might not happen 🙁