Tuesday, June 17, 2008

$60M mulligan to build Bronx golf course

BY BRIAN KATES DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

After throwing away $15 million on an ill-fated scheme to create a world-class golf course on a toxic Bronx dump, the city plans to spend $60 million more to resurrect the duffer's dream.

The Bloomberg administration announced Monday it has begun negotiations with Florida-based Sanford Golf Design to create a Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course at Ferry Point Park under the Whitestone Bridge.

The move comes two years after the city booted the previous developer, Ferry Point Partners, amid scathing reports of mismanagement. In 2005, a Daily News probe revealed mob-linked companies worked at the site.

The cost of the course is about $60 million, according to data sent to potential developers, a source close to the project revealed.

A Bloomberg spokesman would not confirm the amount.

It comes on top of at least $15 million the city has already spent, including $7 million in toxic cleanup costs that the city agreed to pay without first doing an environmental review.

Former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani picked the first developer 10 years ago, but the 222-acre, city-owned former landfill remains little more than a heap of dirt and rubble.

Unlike Ferry Point Partners, which was to design, build and run the course, Sanford would only plan the links and be the construction manager. The builder and operator would get separate contracts.

Bloomberg hailed the selection as "encouraging progress" for the project, which also includes two parks, a children's play area and a pedestrian trail.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a waste of taxpayers money.

Just think if only 10% of that went into LPC.

Anonymous said...

Yes, but the preservation community does not want that much in LPC.

Might make it too easy...

Anonymous said...

This was a typical bait and switch project...the public was led on with promises of a state of the art course paid for with private dollars. So they turned a blind eye to the improper handling of the toxins below. Then after the Mob, Yankee Stadium dirt, Croton Filtration Project Dirt and other construction debris has been piled on top, we may get a run of the mill not impressive, course that is not really needed, paid for by tax dollars in an area that has a desperate need for youth team fields. Instead teams will have to pay for buses to transport their "obese youth with asthma" to fields outside the area for practice and games.