A monumental turreted armoury in New York borough The Bronx could be transformed into the world's largest indoor ice rink complex, if funding can be raised for the project.

According to US publication Politico New York, the city’s Economic Development Corporation (EDC), which owns the site, has given a consortium led by Canadian Ice hockey legend Mark Messier a month to produce US$138m (€121m, £96m) for the project’s first phase. Messier is popular locally, having once captained local ice hockey side New York Rangers.

First proposed in 2012, the plan for the 795,000sq ft (73,800sq m) Kingsbridge Armory National Ice Center includes a wellness centre, a 5,000-capacity arena for regional and international ice hockey fixtures and rinks for figure skating, speed skating, curling and sled hockey for disabled athletes. The centre would also feature 58,000sq ft (5,500sq m) of space for retail, food and beverage.

The Armory is a New York City Landmark (NYCL) and is listed on the New York State and National Registers of Historic Places. The site has been mostly vacant for a number of years, apart from the storage of graffiti removal trucks used by the mayor’s office.

The building was created in 1917 to house a regiment of New York’s National Guard.

According to reports, the ice centre project is estimated to cost US$350m (€307m, £243.5m). The arena, which has been approved by the city’s council, has been designed by Canadian studio BBB Architects.