Kensington Stables Sale To City Falls Through

KENSINGTON, BROOKLYN — A deal that would see the city buy Kensington Stables has fallen through at the 11th hour, officials said Thursday.

The owner of the only horse stables serving Prospect Park had struck a tentative agreement to sell it to the city's Parks Department, which planned to keep it open for public use.

But Parks said Thursday that the stable owners were pursuing another offer. The city's offer, meanwhile, remains on the table, according to Parks. It was not immediately clear who made the other offer.

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DNAinfo's Caroline Spivack first reported that the deal had fallen through.

"Parks is disappointed in the outcome of this deal, given that we had a clear understanding with the owner to bring the Stables under City ownership," Mae Ferguson, a spokeswoman for the Parks Department, told Patch in a statement. "We want the stables to remain a useful public amenity and will continue to work toward that goal."

Patch has also reached out to City Councilman Brad Lander's office for comment, and we'll update this story when we hear back.

The stables' owner, Walker Blankenship, said in February that he needs to sell the property to pay off unpaid tax debt racked up by his father. The Blankenship family has owned the stables since the 1930s.

Lander vowed in February that he wouldn't approve any rezoning of the property that doesn't preserve the building as a stables. He and Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams also pledged a combined $1.5 million to help the city buy the property from the family.

Patch has reached out to Adams' office for comment.

Lander expressed confidence during an August community meeting that the deal would be finalized. He said once the property was in city hands, the plan would be to issue a "request for proposals" from anyone interested in operating it as a stable.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Image: Patch file photo