The Bronx is on its way to getting an ice palace just a short bus ride from the Fordham University Rose Hill campus. A local government committee has approved a proposal to turn the Kingsbridge Armory, located near 195^th Street and University Avenue, into the Kingsbridge National Ice Center with nine rinks and a 5,000 seat arena.

Community Board 7 voted 20 to five in favor of the plan to create the world’s largest skating center. The initiative now needs the approval of Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and the City Council.

In 2010, a group got together and put a plan in place to convert the Kingsbridge Armory into a mega-mall. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg put his approval behind the plan, citing that it would create an economic boom for the area.

The City Council saw the situation differently, striking down the shopping center almost unanimously in a 45-1 vote. Diaz also fought against the plan.

Both the City Council and Diaz were against the proposal because they felt it was not going to produce enough jobs for locals. Diaz said he wanted the developers to ensure that a living wage would be paid to local residents.

Proposals have estimated that the ice center will provide more than $1.5 billion for the community, and supporters of the project argue it will bring jobs to the neighborhood.

New York Rangers fans will be familiar with one of the main players working to transform the Kingsbridge Armory into a place for hockey and figure skating. The team’s former star Mark Messier has been named the CEO of the ice center.

The Kingsbridge National Ice Center would also be a short BX9 ride away for Fordham students, making the ice sheets much closer than the rinks at Central Park and Bryant Park.

Luigino Alosco, GSB’15, grew up in Bergen County, N.J. and has been skating every winter since he was in elementary school.

“I’ve already gone down to Central Park, and if [The Kingsbridge National Ice Center] is closer, I’d obviously go to that,” Alosco said.

He would go with friends occasionally to the Ice House in Hackensack for casual skating. Alosco still remembers the early days of gliding around with pals.

“I was a little wobbly, and it took a while before I could hold my ground. But then once I got the hang of it, it was an enjoyable thing to do,” Alosco said.

Ross Garlic, GSB’15, has been paying attention to the developments of the Kingsbridge Armory and is excited to see an ice palace rather than a mega-mall.

“I freakin’ love [the plan], it was a demonstration of people overcoming politics where people in charge wanted to put a shopping mall there. Now democracy is in action and people have re-evaluated it and put together a center for the community” Garlic said.

Garlic spent his younger days in Manchester, England, before coming to Fordham University. He first laced up the blades at 13 years old when attending a birthday party at the Alterincham Ice Center. He said he would go to the Kingsbridge National Ice Center during the holidays.

“Between Thanksgiving and Christmas I would enjoy going there,” Garlic said.

Bloomberg has publicly backed the plan to convert the Kingsbridge Armory into the world’s largest ice house, just as he did with the last proposal.

The founder of the ice center is Kevin Parker, and he is continuing to point out the economic benefits the center could bring to the community.

He said the goal is to get approval from the City Council and get the Kingsbridge National Ice Center up and running in 2017.

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