{"value"=>"<p>Physical transformation of the 1,216 ½ -acre Flushing Meadow from municipal dump into fully realized fairground largely was overseen by administrators and staff of the Construction Department. Under an agreement with the City, the New York City Parks Department was responsible for basic improvements to the site and the surrounding area, as well as grading and preparation -- moving and leveling an estimated 7-million cubic yards of ashes, refuse and tidal marsh deposits. But it was the Fair Corporation that was entrusted with the development of the site, the building of structures and paths, and performing all tasks related to landscaping, lighting and sanitation.</p> <p>The early construction activities were directed by the General Manager's Office under the guidance of W. Earle Andrews [see Office of Vice President scope note]. Working in conjunction with the Board of Design, this unit developed the general site plan and supervised load testing and the erecting of test structures. By December 1936, the Construction Department was formally established and mobilized. Construction was carried out both by contractors and the Fair's own forces. Chief Engineer and Director of Construction John P. Hogan, a decorated World War I veteran and a colonel in the US Army Corp of Engineers, likened the department's operation to \"an expeditionary force of an army in the field.\" Thousands of engineering and construction workers converged on the site in the summer of 1937, and for the next two years -- working around the clock -- these forces were deployed to build a virtual city; a feat requiring the construction of hundreds of structures, two lakes, a network of fountains, terminals for subway and bus transportation, bridges, roads and other infrastructure.</p>"}