Contact: Colleen Roche (212) 788-2958 or Jennifer Chait (212)788-8479
The project is made possible by a concession agreement between the City and Ferry Point Park Partners. Under the terms of the agreement, the entire $22 million project will be paid for by the Partners. All facilities will be city-owned and accessible to the general public.
"I am pleased to announce plans for the Ferry Point Park Golf Course -- the City's first municipal golf course in 35 years," Mayor Giuliani said. "This groundbreaking project is a wonderful example of public and private sectors working together to make New York City and its parks system even better. This state-of-the-art, 175-acre course will offer golfers breathtaking views of the Manhattan skyline, the Whitestone Bridge and the shoreline of the East River. In addition, I am sure many new City golfers will be 'born' thanks to Jack Nicklaus' expert design and the proficiency of the Ferry Point Park Partners in making this project a reality."
The Mayor continued, "As I have often said, New York City is the Capital of the World, and there is no better place for a state-of-the-art golf course than right here in The Bronx. In the coming years, I look forward to seeing one of golfing's major championships come to New York. I would like to thank Jack Nicklaus for his time and effort designing the course, and Parks Commissioner Henry Stern, for connecting the City to another worthy public-private partnership."
Parks Commissioner Henry J. Stern said, "Building the Ferry Point Park Golf Course will be part of the renaissance of New York City. In 2001, we will be presenting a world-class golf course in an area that has been a wasteland for over 50 years."
Jack Nickaus said, "The Ferry Point Park Golf Course will be something special for the Big Apple."
Ferry Point Park Golf Course will occupy 175 acres of Ferry Point Park, a partially landscaped 418-acre park that was once the site of a ferry terminal. The landscaped section of the park, located west of the Whitestone Bridge, features ballfields, bicycle and pedestrian pathways and basketball courts. The new course will be located in the unlandscaped portion of the park east of the Whitestone Bridge, providing stunning views of the East River and the Manhattan skyline.
Ferry Point Park Partners will fund the course's $22 million construction and make annual payments to the City in exchange for the right to operate the course for the next thirty-five years. The minimum annual payment will be $1.25 million during the first year, increasing to $3 million by the thirty-first year. Each year, the payment can be greater if the sum of percentages of gross receipts from the course, the driving range and the restaurant of revenues exceeds the established minimum.
In addition to the golf course, plans also include the construction of a promenade that provides public access to the Waterfront, pedestrian and bicycle paths, picnic areas, comfort stations and improvements to an adjacent playground. Construction on the City's 14th golf course will begin next year, and should be completed by 2001.
This announcement comes while golf is enjoying increased popularity among New Yorkers. Last year, 885,497 rounds were played in the City's thirteen courses, up from 685,809 in 1988.
Ferry Point Park Partners is comprised of three partners, Gagne Development, owned by J. Pierre Gagne, Golden Bear International, a golf-course design firm owned by professional golfer Jack Nicklaus, and Ferry Point Golfing, owned by Paul Kanavos and Jonathan Stern. Nicklaus, who has designed some of the world's most challenging and beautiful courses, will be the architect of the course. Mr. Gagne will lead the development team and Ferry Point Golfing will provide financial support for the project.
Since beginning his career in the early 1960's, Jack Nicklaus has won a total of 100 tournaments, including: six Masters, five PGA Championships, four US Open Championships, three British Open titles, six Australian Open Championships, and eight Senior PGA titles. Currently, he is known not only as the most successful golfer in history, but also as a premier golf designer with 152 of his courses open for play worldwide. Since he completed his first design in 1970, 24 of his courses have achieved a top 100 ranking in quality and difficulty by various publications.