NEW YORK CITY-Finally securing a vote from one of its last holdouts, the City Council has approved the Kingsbridge Armory's metamorphosis into an ice skating center. Construction of the Bronx's Kingsbridge National Ice Center—which will feature nine rinks—is slated to start late next year, and has a target opening date of 2017. NHL superstar Mark Messier will be the facility's CEO.
Local councilman Fernando Cabrera was one of 48 members to approve the $250 million development after initially backing the project and then changing his position amid allegations he sought cash from the developer for a community group, according to the Daily News.
He got back on board after the developer agreed to a $500,000 package of sweeteners, mostly to address area traffic congestion. Cabrera lent his support Tuesday after a last-minute deal with the developer, KNIC Partners, the News reports. Contact information for the company was not available at press time.
The move is sure to bring more focus, and development, to the borough, notes council speaker Christine Quinn. “This will be a world-class destination that will revitalize the Kingsbridge Armory and bring more resources and jobs to this part of the Bronx.”
Under the deal, KNIC will spend $250,000 to create a fund to pay for traffic improvements and a study of traffic conditions. The developer also will pay $150,000 for uniform signs along Kingsbridge Road and $25,000 for a campaign to encourage people to take public transportation to the ice center.
In response to the project's final approval, Mayor Michael Bloomberg says, “Today's City Council vote, the result of years of collaboration and perseverance among our administration, local elected officials, and the Bronx community, will bring an iconic Bronx landmark back to life. What is now an abandoned structure will soon become the world's largest indoor ice rink facility, and it will serve as yet another example of our administration's commitment to turning what were once symbols of New York City's decline—McCarren Park Pool, High Bridge, the High Line, and more—into community treasures and international attractions.
“Once complete,” he continues, “the Kingsbridge National Ice Center will be a world-class destination that will attract millions of residents and visitors alike, provide new recreational and instructional opportunities for young people, and bring critical jobs and economic activity to a neighborhood that is in need of both.”
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Rayna Katz
Rayna Katz is a seasoned business journalist whose extensive experience includes coverage of the lodging sector, travel and the culinary space. She was most recently content director for a business-to-business publisher, overseeing four publications. While at Meeting News, a travel trade publication, she received a Best Reporting award for a story on meeting cancellations in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina.
