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GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- Tuesday morning, when the Greenburgh town board approved a request for proposals to develop the abandoned Franks Nursery building at 715 Dobbs Ferry Rd., Robb Gould was sitting at the town hall auditorium. He wanted to know firsthand that he could finally submit a project for the indoor sports complex he wants to build in the vacant lot.
This will be the first premier sports dome in the area, Gould said.
He envisions an 80,000 square feet covered area with soccer, lacrosse and softball fields, as well as spaces for activities like yoga, dance and pilates. This will be the first project undertaken by Game On 365, the company he co-founded a year ago to develop recreation facilities.
Everybody in the town is going to benefit from that, he said, adding that currently, soccer games are canceled when it rains and then postponed because of the mud.
But he also has a personal reason for wanting to build soccer fields: his son Noah, 14, is crazy for the sport.
Its his passion, Gould said. He wants to keep playing.
For all his enthusiasm, Gould knows that he will face competition from other developers and realtors. He said that senior housing and a catering hall have also been proposed.
Although town officials said they like Goulds idea, they also made clear that money will weigh heavily on their decision.
He wont have any advantage or disadvantage, said board member Francis Sheehan, while Town Supervisor Paul Feiner highlighted the need to generate extra revenue to compensate for budget cuts.
We definitely need more recreation, however, we are keeping an open mind, in case a better proposal comes up, revenue wise, Feiner said.
Gould, 55, who was born in California and lives in Tarrytown, said that he has worked in many different fields, from construction to show management to computers, but that he doesnt want to trade jobs anymore.
This is my last dream, he said, referring to the sports complex at Dobbs Ferry Road and the others he hopes will follow.
It will remain a dream until Oct. 28, when the proposals are due, and until Dec. 6, when the town will announce the chosen one.
Do you like the idea of a domed sports complex replacing the abandoned Frank's Nursery? You can join the discussion in Facebook.
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