Plans scrapped for Staten Island track

Plans scrapped for Staten Island track

By Jenna Fryer, The Associated Press
December 5, 2006
09:58 AM EST (14:58 GMT)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- International Speedway Corp. has scrapped plans to build a track on Staten Island, stalling NASCAR's dream to bring a race to the New York area.

"While we are disappointed that we could not complete the speedway development on Staten Island, our enthusiasm for the metropolitan New York market is in no way dampened," ISC president Lesa France Kennedy said Monday. "We continue to view the region as a prime location for a major motorsports facility."

France Kennedy heads ISC, the publicly traded sister company of NASCAR -- which was founded by her grandfather and currently chaired by her brother, Brian France

Both companies badly want to expand NASCAR into the New York metropolitan area, and moved toward that goal in 2004 when a subsidiary of ISC paid about $100 million for a 440-acre former oil tank farm on Staten Island. The company later bought another 236 acres to gain the necessary land for a race track.

The goal was to build a 0.8-mile state-of-the-art track that would have accommodated 80,000 fans and had the New York City skyline as its backdrop.

But the proposal has been met by severe resistance, including a a hotly contested April public meeting in which tempers reached dangerous levels -- forcing police to end the meeting over safety concerns.

Residents complained of traffic tie-ups and argued that the two major roads leading into the property would likely need major renovations to handle the increased loads.

Environmental concerns were also cited by opponents of the plan.

ISC's decision to call off the plan was immediately trumpeted as a "monumental victory for the people of Staten Island," by New York City Council Minority Leader James S. Oddo.

"After all was said and done, NASCAR was simply an inappropriate fit," he said.

ISC cited an "inability to secure the critical local political support that is necessary to secure the required land-use change approvals" in ending the Staten Island project. In all, the company said it spent about $150 million on the project.

ISC said it may now sell the land, which it believes will be worth more than $100 million and is described as the largest undeveloped acreage in the five boroughs of New York City.

France Kennedy expressed disappointment over not getting a chance to present the entire proposal to residents.

"We clearly believe that if we had been able to proceed through the full public process, the significant benefits this project represents would have generated a more positive reaction," she said.

NASCAR and ISC have long targeted both the New York and Pacific Northwest as areas where it would like to expand. The New York project is now uncertain, with ISC forced to find new land and an accepting public if it plans to continue.

France Kennedy said ISC, which owns 11 major tracks and hosts more than 100 annual events, would move forward.

"We remain committed to the pursuit of a motorsports entertainment facility development in the nation's number one media market," she said.



Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

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Bill's Comment: To me, it was a bad idea from the get-go. MASCAR desperately wants to have a race in the New York metropolitan area. Teh only time NASCAR comes to this area is primarily at Watkins Glen, NY; however, that is closer to Canada than the Gotham City. The only other options for New York NASCAR fans would either be Pocono, Loudon, NH, or even Dover, DE, from a driving distance standpoint. As far as the Staten Island deal goes, I would not be surprised if the unions prevented this from coming to fruition.

It is a shame that the casino lobby from Atlantic City, NJ did not back up an idea to build a racetrack just outside of Atlantic City. They said that they would lose money. HELLO! NASCAR has two races in the Las Vegas area, and it is a win-win situation there. They just opened a casino up near Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, PA. It would give the fans something else to do while they are spending the weekend at the track.

In conclusion, as NASCAR expands, both national and international, they will find another location which will benefit both them and the community in which will host them. It would be a definite economic winner for the locals. If only the arrogant, self-absorbed politicians in New Jersey would entertain the thought.