It could be another 8 to 10 months until developers of the Kingsbridge National Ice Center could see shovels in the ground.

Those are some of the new details outlined in a letter drafted on March 5 that recapped a closed-door meeting between Kevin Parker, founder of the project, and community stakeholders tied to the project on March 2. The Norwood News obtained a copy from a source who asked for anonymity as they are not authorized to speak on the project.

“[T]he bottom line is that KNIC has basic agreements for the financing for Phase I and Phase II but the details of several contracts need to be finalized and more detailed design drawings need to be complete before construction gets underway,” read the letter written by Ivan Braun, a member of the Kingsbridge Community Benefits Council (formerly the KNIC Community Advisory Council). “The current projection is 8 to 10 months for construction to start.”

The news confirms the project will be delayed for another, putting the project two years behind schedule. News of the KNIC project was announced in April 2013 after a lengthy public review. It was followed by approval by the New York City Council in December the same year. Elected officials have long held the project is a true game changer for a borough and one that promises economic growth.

The original date of completion was 2017, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the National Hockey League. Though the project has been delayed, its concept has virtually stood the same: it is expected to be the world’s largest ice skating complex that will be home to nine ice skating rinks and a 5,000-seat arena. The project would be housed in the still empty Kingsbridge Armory.

A unique Community Benefits Agreement marshaled by representatives from various community groups, including the Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition, was forged and agreed upon by KNIC representatives.

Lack of locked in financing had largely delayed the start of the project. Though the New York City Economic Development Corporation drafted a lease, it was not ready to release it to KNIC until all financing was met. The lease remained in escrow, prompting attorneys for KNIC to sue for its release. KNIC eventually found financing through a $138 million loan from the state’s Empire State Development corporation, which clears them to seek construction loans for the first phase of the project.

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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.