The city’s two-years-in-the-making transformation of most of the Park Slope Armory into a sports complex appears to be in the home stretch. The $16 million renovation of the massive space should be finished by late December or early January, according to the project’s construction crew. A peek inside the building, which will primarily be a track-and-field center, shows that work’s been completed on the roof and most of the flooring’s been put into place. A few weeks ago, meanwhile, the city issued an RFP for a 10-year contract to operate the space, with bids due at the end of September. The RFP says the armory’s future concessionaire will have to keep the facility open to the public for a minimum of 20 hours a week. Given that the complex’s operator won’t be required to keep it open it to the public for more than a few hours a day, is the splashy renovation actually going to be a boon for Joe Average South Sloper? And, as someone on the Forum noted, what of the uptick in traffic that’s sure to result from the new complex?
Request for Proposals [nyc.gov]
Park Slope Armory [Forum]