Prospect Park's Big Digs at Lakeside
[nggallery id=”55055″ template=galleryview] What’s to see at the Prospect Park’s massive Lakeside project these days? Not much aside from a bunch of prep work on the 26 acres that’ll eventually have two skating rinks and more parkland surrounding the lake. There was a groundbreaking for the project in December, and last month PLOG covered the…
[nggallery id=”55055″ template=galleryview]
What’s to see at the Prospect Park’s massive Lakeside project these days? Not much aside from a bunch of prep work on the 26 acres that’ll eventually have two skating rinks and more parkland surrounding the lake. There was a groundbreaking for the project in December, and last month PLOG covered the demolition of the old Wollman Rink.
Groundbreaking at Prospect Park Rink [Brownstoner]
The project is being built in phases, so it won’t all be completed at once. This makes sense with the 70% fundraising Invisible mentioned above. The rinks are to (re-) open in the fall of 2012, so there will be one more winter without a place to skate. But it’ll be worth the wait.
Lakeside Center will be a crown jewel in the Park when it’s complete. A sheet for hockey (FINALLY!) and a general skating rink, both with warm weather uses. The larger rink will be a water feature/fountain along the lines of Brooklyn Museum’s that will be a place to bring the chilrens on a hot summer day.
Not to mention the Concert Grove and Music Island being reinstated to their original design. I’m curious if Celebrate Brooklyn will hold concerts on this side of the Park.
Kudos to the Prospect Park Alliance for A- having hutzpah to undertake this large project, B- gathering the required funds in a very tough financing environment, and C- returning a Moses’ed part of the Park to Olmsted’s original.
BTW, no one ever complains about the bandshell or the playgrounds throughout the park, and those were all Moses’ work as well.
Ding, dong, the rink is dead! Exciting project (although not my fantasy of recreating the Concert Grove in Days of Yore complete with horse-drawn carriages and a restaurant selling oysters and Charlotte Russe…)
PP web site still says 2012 is projected completion and
“as of Spring 2010, more than 70% of the total fundraising goal has been achieved.”
so its not clear if all the money is there yet.
but appears to be exactly what you would expect for spring 2011.
My teen kid was very disappointed not to be able to take the bus to skating lessons on Sunday mornings this year. It looks like the new rinks are not being constructed at the pace of the Atlantic Yards arena!
Ah the memories. I discovered frozen Milky Way bars at that little concession stand many, many years ago.
yea capital projects! this is great……
don’t hold your breath but at least underway
given budgets this is special
Were they planning to get it done in less than a year? Sounds optimistic.
Anyone know if at least one rink will be open in November? Doesn’t look that way!