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Forest Hills Stadium can keep its concerts under deal with neighbors
By
Ryan Kost
Published Oct 22, 2026 at 2:49 p.m. ET
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Photo by Taylor Hill/Getty Images
By
Ryan Kost
Published Oct 22, 2026 at 2:49 p.m. ET
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Forest Hills Stadium will continue to host concerts for the foreseeable future, under a settlement announced this week meant to end years of acrimony between the Queens venue and neighbors who have long complained about noise and other disruptions.
The agreement ends all pending litigation between the neighborhood group Forest Hills Gardens Corporation and the stadium’s owner West Side Tennis Club and operator Tiebreaker Productions. In a joint statement, the three groups said the settlement will allow the venue to host up to 28 concerts a season through 2040.
The Gardens Corporation, spurred by neighborhood complaints about noise and traffic, filed multiple lawsuits over the past few years in an attempt to stop or scale back concerts at the stadium. At one point the group refused to let the NYPD close its private roadways to help manage traffic, prompting the department to temporarily withhold sound permits.
As part of the deal, Tiebreaker Productions will give the neighborhood group “substantial payments” for each show, starting at $15,000 in the first four years and growing to as much as $18,000, as well as a one-time upfront payment of $275,000. Part of the upfront payment will go toward “restoration and beautification projects.”
The deal stipulates a curfew for amplified sound and designated routes for concert traffic; rideshare pickups will move outside Forest Hills Gardens.
The Gardens Corporation’s board praised the deal in a statement saying it would allow for clear, enforceable protections for the first time.
Tiebreaker likewise said the agreement will preserve the venue’s future while supporting the neighborhood.
The deal follows a shift in the Gardens Corporation’s leadership. A new board elected at the end of last year campaigned on ending the stadium litigation, citing legal costs. In March, that board settled a federal lawsuit against the city over use of the private streets for $150,000.
Tagged
Music
Politics
business
queens
Ryan Kost
Ryan Kost is a reporter on the day-of news desk, where he covers breaking news and writes enterprise stories about jails, courts, prosecutors and government accountability. His work focuses on the public institutions that shape life in New York. Before joining the newsroom, he lead a multi-part investigation with Columbia Journalism Investigations and New York Focus into how New York prosecutors handle wrongful conviction claims. He's also been a staff writer at The San Francisco Chronicle, The Associated Press and The Oregonian. Got a tip? Signal: ryankost.20
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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