THROGS NECK — Donald Trump’s real estate firm has super-sized its plans for the clubhouse it wants to build at its pricey public golf course in The Bronx.
DNAinfo New York obtained renderings of the soon-to-be-built facility that show it will encompass 18,455 square feet — up from the 12,000 square feet that had been originally reported.
The clubhouse will include multiple dining areas, including a 3,139-square-foot bar and grill inside the building as well as a 4,830-square-foot bar and grill terrace.
The facility will also have a 2,613-square-foot dining room that can accommodate up to 165 diners, as well as a 4,150-square-foot eating area on the terrace that can also serve 165 people, renderings show.
Ron Lieberman, an executive vice president at Trump Organization, said the clubhouse’s size “may have increased somewhat.” But he said renowned architecture firm Hart Howerton designed the facility to fit the Jack Nicklaus-designed, 7,407-yard course.
“They put together something that will completely complement the golf course,” he said, adding that the Trump Organization wanted a clubhouse that bolsters their bid to one day host the U.S. Open.
Trump agreed to spend at least $10 million to build a clubhouse as part of the deal it struck with the city Parks Department to run the course at Ferry Point Park.
“It’s all on our dime,” Lieberman said of the clubhouse.
Parks Department spokesman Mario Lopez said that the clubhouse itself hasn't gotten bigger.
"The 18,455 square feet of space includes the outdoor dining and bar terraces, but the covered building space is still approximately 12,000 square feet," he said.
The interior bar and grill will be able to accommodate 125 diners, according to the renderings. It will also have a 73-foot-long bar counter and a 42-foot high-vaulted ceiling with a cupola above.
The terrace’s bar and grill will be able to serve 195 diners.
Lieberman did not dispute that a bigger facility meant more dining space and more revenue. But he said the city also stood to benefit.
Under the deal, the city collects 7 percent of revenue Trump makes off the sale of refreshments and merchandise and catering events.
“The more money we make, the more money the city makes,” Lieberman said.
The renderings show the clubhouse will also have a 1,634-square-foot pro shop.
It will also house a 2,575-square-foot locker room and offer 29 VIP lockers that can be rented for the entire season.
The Parks Department said that the cost of those seasonal lockers hasn’t been set.
Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point, which opened April 1, was decades in the making. Debate over the need for an expensive course, environmental clean-ups and cost overruns delayed its completion.
In the end, the Independent Budget Office estimated the course cost the city $230 million.
In 2010 the city picked the Trump Organization to run the course. The deal has been heavily criticized for the favorable terms Trump received and the amount it can charge in player fees.
A city resident pays $169 to play a round at the course on the weekend. That’s about three times the price at other public courses in the city.
The renderings state that the clubhouse’s dining room can be walled off from or integrated with the bar and grill for private events.
The city’s Design Commission must approve the clubhouse’s plans before construction starts.
Lieberman said he hopes the facility will be ready to open during the 2016 golf season.
