We were intrigued after hearing that the Bronx's Kingsbridge Armory may be turned into a combination velodrome and BMX park, thanks to a study conducted by the NYU's Wagner School that deemed it a viable option. New York City used to be a hub for bike racing, and supporters say that an indoor bike park would encourage fitness and give young folk in the Bronx another way to stay off the streets. Michael Green of the National Cycling Association, the group that's spearheading the velodrome initiative, tells us that the group plans to get a permit from the city to open up a temporary bike track, BMX facility and skatepark in the armory, "We want to show the public how the facility will work and to get people excited about reclaiming this old, unused structure," Green says.
While the NCA is working on getting "a major sponsor" to cover the costs of the temporary installation, Green says they hope to hold "a major 6-day race over six nights," that would combine "live bands, BMX exhibitions," and get a few thousand people in to check out the facility. He also tells us that the NCA is committed to showing "how important the cycling initiative can be for the health of local kids, kids of all skill levels," and they ultimately want to have coaches on site to develop talent.
There's something for the city's skaters as well, as the skatepark would be able to have ramps taller than 3 feet (which is what the city's skateparks level out at) because there would be personnel on site to monitor people using the facilities. Constructing the temporary park and velodrome would take "a week or two," but the city's bureaucratic hurdles and securing a sponsor could take awhile, making Green's goal for getting the demo up "in the next 6 months to a year" a reasonable one. While a velodrome may not bring in as many jobs as some in the community would hope for, it's an infinitely better idea than a shopping mall.
