Back in October of 2014, the Kingsbridge National Ice Center, led by Kevin Parker and Mark Messier, signed a 99-year lease with the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) to convert the vacant Kingsbridge Armory, at 29 West Kingsbridge Road in Kingsbridge Heights, into an ice sports facility. As planned, the 750,000-square-foot building, an individual landmark, will be converted to accommodate nine ice rinks, one of which will be a 5,000-seat arena, and 50,000 square feet of community facility space. Politico New York now reports the NYCEDC has extended the deadline by a month for the developer to obtain $158 million in construction financing, at which point it would turn over the lease to the developer to begin construction.
Present-day Kingsbridge Armory, photo by Crain’s New York
The development team was promised a $138 million loan from the Empire State Development, but has yet to receive the financing. The rest of the $20 million has reportedly been raised via other sources. Exterior alterations require approval from the Landmarks Preservation Commission, and construction is expected to take roughly three years.
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Political games always hold things up
Making me smile and thinking to Disney land, rather pleasure on this one and excited too.