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There is a proposal on the table that would convert a space on Marbledale Road into a 10,000-square-foot ice rink. Because the rink is on the Tuckahoe-Eastchester border, the project needs to be approved by the planning boards of each municipality.
The project is being developed by Barbuti Architects, the firm that is also in charge of the Broken Bow Brewery project down the road. The proposal includes an upstairs viewing area overlooking two ice surfaces and a skate rental and sharpening station. A snack bar may also be constructed in the facility.
The location would focus on hockey training and the Bronxville youth hockey squad is expected to rent ice space if the project comes to fruition. In addition to hockey instruction, there will be introductory classes where children can learn to skate.
“Ice skating definitely isn’t something that jumps to my mind as something to do, but if it’s right in town, we’ll probably go more often,” resident Gabby Giugliano said.
With the new brewery set to open next month, members of the Tuckahoe Planning Board expressed concerns that the addition of an ice rink would diminish the quality of life in the area due to increased traffic from patrons.
The rink would be open each day from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., with spikes in action after school from 4 to 9 p.m. on weekdays, when residents are typically on their way home from work.
“Concerns include traffic, parking and noise,” Antonio Lee, the chair of the Tuckahoe Planning Board said.
The planning board has commissioned a parking study from both Eastchester and Tuckahoe to determine how the proposed rink may affect parking and traffic.
Eastchester resident Bill Fenn said that an increase in traffic would be a fair offset for the increased business.
“It really is a busy part of the village, but we can let something like traffic or parking stop us from improving our village,” he said. “I think most people would rather have some of the empty buildings filled.”
According to a member of the Tuckahoe Planning Board, small ice skating rinks have become prominent in the area since the rink at Rye Playland was damaged during Hurricane Sandy.
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