Gloversville Continental Mills

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After the Fire: What Remains of Gloversville Continental Mills A Field of Bricks The bricks were everywhere. Not stacked, not standing. Just scattered across the ground like something vast had simply let go. What used to be Mill No. 3 of the former Gloversville-Continental Mills now spread out before me like a field of rubble, stretching from Beaver Street all the way back to the Cayadutta Creek bank. Thousands of bricks, the same ones that had held this building upright through more than a century of American manufacturing history, lay in random heaps with nowhere left to go. In one corner, pressed against a sealed-off wall, sat what remained of steel beams, HVAC machinery, and other miscellaneous load-bearing beams and the remains of 40 historical knitting machines. The fire had taken everything soft about them. What was left were twisted red-brown skeletons of rust and charred metal, piled on top of each other like they had tried to hold on and failed. Standing there in the ...
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Former Bronx Golf Center to Become MTA Electric Bus Depot






⛳ Bronx Golf Center Update — August 2022

The site of the former Family Golf Center, Inc., also known as the Bronx Golf Center, located at 1825 E. Gun Hill Road in the Bronx, has been fully cleaned up and boarded. The MTA demolished the batting and mini golf areas.

In addition to the property cleanup, the MTA Gun Hill Bus Depot has expanded its footprint on the site for more bus storage allocation. However, there is no word yet on its build-out as a future MTA electric bus depot in the smog-heavy Bronx.

🚌 The main golf stand and boarded administrative building remains standing as of August 8, 2022, its future still uncertain as the MTA works toward its 2040 zero-emission goals.

⛳ The Bronx Golf Center once echoed with the crack of bats and golf swings — now it sits cleaned up and boarded, awaiting its next chapter as part of New York City's transit future.
I remember it was rather cold that day, and I nearly lost my fingers flying the drone around the complex. Entering the complex was rather easy since the drive-in gate was unlocked and unsecured. At first glance, the site was definitely an illegal dumping ground. The still-standing batting range with its intact green netting and overgrown golf hill facades stuffed with weeds. The place definitely had a family atmosphere minus the mini rainforest. The golf tee pavilion was a sight to behold, standing in the grass looking dead center to the structure. Beneath my feet, I could make out various colorful, branded golf balls all over the ground. I eventually took a couple of golf balls home as souvenirs, knowing full well that next time I won't be as lucky to enter the property again.















A former golf driving range has a purpose for Bronx residents to become an all-electric bus depot. The 12-acre complex (550,000 square feet) has confounded and bemused Morris Park residents since its operating existence. Formerly named Family Golf Center, Inc., and a current sign on the property is covered with graffiti, Bronx Golf Center. Residents of the area noticed that no one was ever found here, as it abruptly closed down in January 2010. The property had sat abandoned for years before, with local news changing hands from the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) to Grid Properties and Gotham Organization in 2018. 






Underneath the golf driving range stand.




A forest of trees and bushes surrounds the former mini-golf course obstacles. 




There were loads of wooden poles surrounding the golf range to prevent stray golf balls exiting the property. They were taken down sometime between 2012-2013.




1940s auto wrecker business on Gun Hill Road, Courtesy of NYC Municipal Archives






The former entertainment complex changed owners several times during its name reshuffle before the MTA took back the property from the prior tenant, who defaulted on the lease. The MTA, at one time, was even assessing the property to be used as a new transit facility. Instead, it built the present Gun Hill Bus Depot and leased the remaining property in the interim as a golf driving range and to the nonprofit Astor Little League, which operated the adjacent baseball fields. The MTA instead built a smaller bus depot at Gun Hill Road. The property was sold to Grid Properties and Gotham Organization for $30.5 million in 2014. The former is a development company focused on retail-centered assets, and the latter is responsible for residential housing north of 30,000 units. Grid and Gotham are long-time partners in multipurpose properties. 







Administrative building and pro golf shop.















The developer proposed an outlet center named Baychester Square, which would have featured six blocks of restaurants and retail amenities in 2017. The two-story shopping complex would also have 350,000 buildable square feet and 1200 parking spaces. In addition, two affordable housing buildings of 200 units would be built for seniors with little league fields as their future views next door. An option, if any public financing is available. Developer code word for if the city doesn’t pay for it, we won’t build it. Unfortunately, development has been squashed by the City Council. Baychester Square would have sat within a triple intersection of pedestrian and vehicular traffic congestion consisting of the Hutchinson River Parkway, East Gun Hill Road, and the New England Thruway. Across the street, constant traffic is already an issue with the nearby Bay Plaza shopping complex. 







Current Gun Hill Road Bus Depot to the left.




Batting Cages














Unfortunately, those traffic thoroughfares were a cause for concern for Community Boards 11 and 12, who see the foreseeable traffic nightmare. Community Board 12 supported the proposal. Baychester Square would have sat just opposite The Mall at Bay Plaza, which has several tenants, including TGI Fridays, Planet Fitness, Aldi, Dunkin Donuts, and Home Depot. Andy King, a local councilman who faced harassment and ethics violations, opined that the development was irresponsible since it does not guarantee senior housing and competes 100 yards away with Bay Plaza Mall. Former Councilman Andy King suggested other purposes of the land should have been used for a hotel or an education and training facility for young adults. 


















MTA Electric Bus Depot Render, Courtesy of MTA Press Release






Those plans never came to fruition due to the City Council nixing development. According to an RFP released by the MTA, they are seeking a developer to construct a first-of-its-kind electric bus charging facility. This electric bus depot will be able to charge 225 buses at one time as the MTA ambitiously looks to reach its 2040 zero-emission goals. Thanks to its $51 billion Capital Program, the MTA will be acquiring about 60 fully electric buses ordered in 2021. However, the bus depot will also be used as a last-mile three-story logistics warehouse that is proposed to generate revenue for the MTA due to its proximity to the I-95 and full use of industrial-zoned land in the 550,000 square foot parcel.

















⛳ Did You Play at the Bronx Golf Center?

Did you practice your swing here, take lessons, or bring your kids to the driving range? Do you have photos from when the golf center was still open, scorecards, or memories of this Bronx recreational landmark before it was cleared for the MTA's electric bus depot?

📩 Share Your Memory or drop a comment below — full credit given to every contributor
⬇ Keep Reading — More Abandoned NYC Landmarks
🏙️ More Bronx & NYC Lost History
From abandoned golf centers and frozen-in-time substations to repurposed sanatoriums and forgotten sanctuaries — explore the overlooked landmarks of New York City.
⛳ The Bronx Golf Center once echoed with the crack of bats and golf swings — now its future as a hub for the MTA's zero-emission future remains to be seen.





Source(s):






1. Roberts, Daniel, “Abandoned driving range up for bid," July 23, 2010, New York Post

2. Goodstein, Steven, “Shopping center to be built at former golf range,” April 29, 2018, BronxTimes

3. Eldredge, Barbara, “What is ULURP? And Why Do We Have It,” November 24, 2015, Brownstoner

4. Rocchio, Patrick, “Councilman King: shuttered Golf Center could be put to better use,” June 10, 2014, BronxTimes

5. Mitchell, Alex, “Councilman King protest vacant Gun Hill Road gold range,” June 7, 2019, BronxTimes

6. “Gun Hill Golf Range Still Vacant,” June 7, 2019, The Bronx Info

7. Shahrigian, Shant, "Councilman Andy King faces suspension, fine after Ethics Committee substantiates harassment, corruption allegations," October 22, 2019, Daily News

8. New York City Transit, "MTA Issues RFP for Bronx Electric Bus Depot Development,", March 22, 2022, MTA Press Release

9. Cohen, Jason, "MTA issues RFP for first of its kind electric bus depot on Gun Hill Road,", March 22, 2022, BronxTimes
Location: 1825 E Gun Hill Rd, Bronx, NY 10469, USA

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