PALM BEACH GARDENS — The City Council refused to grant the nonprofit that wants to build an ice rink complex at Plant Drive Park a 90-day extension to line up financing for the $40 million project and to complete construction of the 123,000-square-foot building.
Council members voted 4-0 to reject the request on June 5 and expressed frustration with the Palm Beach North Athletic Foundation saying it has had plenty of time to come up with the money it needs to proceed by the July 3 deadline imposed in its contract.
The foundation must prove to the city by July 3 that it has obtained 100% of its financing to start construction, which would take 16 to 18 months. The city may withdraw its agreement to let PBNAF build the complex if it does not meet its deadlines, according to the contract.
The agreement says no time extensions will be granted, aside from weather delays. It does include a 30-day grace period to repair any breaches to its deadlines.
“I’ve lost faith in this organization,” said council member John Kemp, the newest member on the council. “I thought, ‘I hope to God that after this council just sat under fire that this organization gets this done for their sake and not embarrass them.’ ... I don't want to lose the public’s trust.”
John Balzano with Ziegler, an investment bank working with PBNAF, told council members that PBNAF wanted the 90-day extension in an abundance of caution if its team cannot obtain financing in time. The foundation is awaiting state approvals because of its tax-exempt status.
“They are confident they can get it done by the end of July,” Balzano told the council. “But if there are some things out of our control, we wouldn't want to risk it.”
'Here again': PBNAF got extensions for past failed project
The ice rink complex has support from National Hockey League great Wayne Gretzky, a homeowner in northern Palm Beach County, who has said he plans to use the rink to host the Gretzky Hockey School. It also has drawn opposition from area residents who use Plant Drive Park, especially its skateboard ramps.
The PBNAF project also has corporate and private partners, including Palm Beach Gardens-based Carrier; Larry Robbins and the Robbins Family Foundation; the Florida Panthers NHL team; the Hospital for Special Surgery in West Palm Beach; and NFP insurance brokerage.
In terms of financing, Balzano said PBNAF has a pledge from Robbins, an investor and philanthropist who lives in South Florida, for over $20 million and a term sheet for financing from a bank — which he would not name — for $29 million. The foundation has already spent $2.6 million on designs, pre-construction services and legal services.
The June 5 meeting wasn't the first time PBNAF has asked for an extension to complete a proposed project in Palm Beach Gardens. It received them in 2020 when it wanted to build a sports center at Gardens North County District Park off Central Boulevard.
That project failed because the foundation never obtained financing.
Kemp said the foundation has already missed a deadline for the ice-rink project. It was supposed to provide audited financials to the city by May 31 but it did not.
“We are here again,” council member Chelsea Reed told PBNAF officials on June 5. “The only difference between this and the first design is you are further down the road this time.”
Reed asked how much the foundation had in its bank account. Balzano said it had over $2 million.
“If it was funding that was guaranteed, it would be in your bank account,” Reed said. “It is not good faith.”
Vice Mayor Dana Middleton added: “To me, a term sheet means nothing. It is just words. That’s not a commitment. … Show us the money."
Mayor Marcie Tinsley did not vote, citing a conflict of interest. In the past, her family member worked for and is still receiving compensation from the engineering firm tied to the project.
Ice rink opponents hope Plant Drive Park prevails as it is
The project prevailed through nine months of opposition from residents who spoke against the project at council meetings in matching teal T-shirts since the council approved its concept in April 2024. Most said they opposed the complex’s location, rather than the building itself.
An online petition against the park’s demolition garnered more than 4,000 signatures. The council gave the greenlight on Jan. 9 for the foundation to build the complex.
Many residents are saddened that the skate park, basketball and pickleball courts and softball field at Plant Drive Park would be demolished to make room for the complex. Some of them spoke against the deadline extensions at the June 5 council meeting.
“This is about whether this council is going to continue enabling failure,” said Helen Brown, who lives on Plant Drive. “Show you care for the people that live there and have to put up with this.”
Maya Washburn covers northern Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida-Network. Reach her at [email protected]. Support local journalism: Subscribe today.