Kleiner’s Korner: The expenses of constructing the never built Ronkonkoma Racing Loop
As noted in a 2010 post plans were drawn up to construct a racing loop at the end of the Motor Parkway in Ronkonkoma. An estimate dated October 24, 1910, projected the cost to be $258,075.67 - a low estimate among the many alternatives provided . . .
- but what actually went into these estimates? Read on . . .
Art Kleiner
The properties used in the estimates included those of the Wright and Cornish families. Various design specifications were made, some including a 3 mile loop, some a 5 mile loop, some including curves or not and some including paving while some did not.
Many of the designs included the same cost components, such as the erection of grandstands, fences, toll lodges, etc. Also, a cost for the taking down of the grandstand on the Hempstead Plains (today's Levittown) was included. See the details below which were found by Al Velocci among the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum documents.
Another design layout of the loop. This one was three miles.
October 20
Various estimates were prepared between October 20 and October 27, 1910. This one is for a 5 mile loop on the Wright property. Note the $14,000 entry to remove the present grandstand and the erection of 2 toll lodges at $1,000 each.
October 24
Fencing with barbed wire and bridge excavation . . .
Camp inside loop - $19,000.
This estimate was for "no pavement".
This estimate incorporated the Cornish property into the plans. Over 121,000 square yards of pavement totaling almost $184,000 was included in this estimate . . .
which increased the total price to $419,618.
October 25
Without paving . . .
the total cost was only $233,948.
Also considered was only paving the curved sections . . . .
bringing the total cost to $316,356.
October 27
Revised estimates on Oct. 27 including pavement . . .
or pavement just on curves. . . .
and no pavement.
A second look by Willie K.
Possibly as a result of the cost (or the confusion caused by so many alternatives) the racing loop was never constructed. But in 1913, Willie K. again thought of constructing the loop and instructed Asst. Treas. A. J. Kienzle to investigate what planning had already taken place. Of course, nothing came of it then as well. Hope all the accountants out there enjoyed the detail!
Comments
Art, The letter from Vanderbilt to Kienzle regarding a “motordrome” has always intrigued me because that concept is completely different from what was being proposed in 1910. Why it never happened is a mystery because the demand was there. Note that Vanderbilt says, the motordrome preposition “might” go through. That tells me he was not personally involved. In 1912 the Metropolitan Motor Speedway was organized, the principals were Jefferson De Mont Thompson, president and A. R. Pardington and Fred Wagner as G.M. and V.P. with plans to build a two-mile track for automobile races on the Newark Meadows, “patterned after the big speedway at Indianapolis”. They were motivated by the fact Indianapolis was a huge success when you consider than their market was a population of less than 500,000 within a day’s driving distance. It was never built because it was going to cost a million dollars, in 1912 dollars, to bring in a enough fill to make the project a reality. Shortly thereafter a new group planned to built a Motordrome in east Garden City on some 600 acres bound by Old Country Rd., Clinton Ave., Merrick Ave. and the Motor Parkway on the south. As we know that never happened either. So…., it appears someone approached Vanderbilt about building a Motordrome at Lake Ronkonkoma. The acreage was there as was the Motor Parkway and the LIRR for easy access. Hope to find out why it didn’t happen.