Yesterday morning officials broke ground on the $70-million Lakeside Center in Prospect Park—an ambitious initiative that aims to transform 26 acres in the park's southeast quadrant. According to park officials, this means "the winter-only ice rink will be relocated and replaced with a year-round destination for recreation." On top of that, the project will restore the surrounding natural environment.
Back to that skating rink. According to the Brooklyn Eagle, Lakeside will replace the seasonal Wollman Rink with a LEED-certified green building and two outdoor skating rinks—ice in the winter, and roller in the warmer months!
All changes aim to keep the original vision of park designers Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, a vision they say was obscured when Robert Moses built the Wollman Rink in 1960. According to the Brooklyn Paper, the funds aren't all there yet, but Mayor Bloomberg has put his support (and money) behind the project, "touting the plan as the best thing to happen to Prospect Park since the paddleboats."
