We were intrigued after hearing that the Bronx's Kingsbridge Armory may be turned into a combination velodrome and BMX park, thanks to a study conducted by the NYU's Wagner School that deemed it a viable option. New York City used to be a hub for bike racing, and supporters say that an indoor bike park would encourage fitness and give young folk in the Bronx another way to stay off the streets. Michael Green of the National Cycling Association, the group that's spearheading the velodrome initiative, tells us that the group plans to get a permit from the city to open up a temporary bike track, BMX facility and skatepark in the armory, "We want to show the public how the facility will work and to get people excited about reclaiming this old, unused structure," Green says.
BMX Track, Skatepark May Get Kingsbridge Armory Tryout
BMX Riders, Get Ready: Kingsbridge Armory May Become A Velodrome
Instead of shopping for a food processor at Bed Bath & Beyond, you may soon be popping front wheelies and getting air, free from the death cookies of the street in the Bronx's Kingsbridge Armory. After BP Ruben Diaz, Jr., successfully staved off Mayor Bloomberg's proposal to build a shopping mall in the cavernous, castle-looking structure, he commissioned a study from NYU's Wagner school of public service to determine what to do with the building, and one proposal gaining steam is to make it a velodrome. Building developer and former president of the Century Road Club Association tells the Daily News that the location's massive 600' by 300' floor makes it ideal for a BMX course, and a spokesman for Bloomberg said that his office would "listen to all feasible proposals that include private-sector investment and use city funds responsibly."
Staten Island Youth: "Give Us Back Our Skate Park"
After the Parks Department gleefully destroyed Staten Island's Benjamin Soto Skate Park in front of skaters and bikers, citizens took to their community board meeting last night to protest the demolition, which the Parks Department justified by claiming that it was in "disrepair" and "dangerous to the children." Even so, what could possibly be more dangerous than a group of bored teenagers holding wooden boards affixed with heavy, metallic, bludgeoning-axles?
Brooklyn Banks No Match For Bridge Construction
The city has made up its mind. Come December, the Brooklyn Banks will be boarded up and transformed into a construction area for the Brooklyn Bridge rehabilitation project, Scott Gastel, spokesperson for the city Dept. of Transportation told Downtown Express.
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