Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams announced their combined $200 million investment into the redevelopment for the historic and long-underutilized Kingsbridge Armory in the Bronx. The push to reimagine the space has been a community-led project for decades that lacked funding.
The Kingsbridge Armory first opened back in 1917 for military use until 1994. The city has owned the landmarked building since 1996. It has recently been used as a temporary food distribution center during the COVID-19 pandemic and as storage for victims of the Twin Park North fire.
“The Kingsbridge Armory is a tremendous public asset that is not serving the community. This project has the potential to unlock billions in economic impact for the city while creating over 1,800 good jobs right here in the Bronx,” said Adams. “And after sitting down with more than 4,000 Bronxites over the past nine months, we are proud to deliver their vision for the armory’s next chapter: a source for good union jobs and a beacon of opportunity for the Bronx.”
“After years of dwelling on the history of the Kingsbridge Armory, we are finally looking ahead to its remarkable future,” said Hochul in a statement.
The city will begin requests for proposals (RFP) next month for the redevelopment with an aim at creating over 1,800 jobs, including 1,100 construction jobs, and up to $10 billion in economic impact to the Bronx based on initial estimates.
The community effort to redevelop Kingsbridge Armory actually goes back nearly three decades, mostly led by a grassroots organization called the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition (NWBCCC). NWBCCC was established in 1974, and since 1994, has rallied local residents, small businesses, and faith and labor institutions to fight for the Armory. The group previously prepared two RFPs for the armory that failed to pass in City Council or receive funding. They managed to secure $31 million in renovations to save the building from further deterioration and organized against the site becoming a mall under former Mayor Mike Bloomberg.
In the last nine-months, NWBCCC, along with Councilmember Pierina Sanchez and others, have guided the community engagement efforts to get feedback on what residents want to see the armory become. The plan they came up with is called the “Together for Kingsbridge Vision.” Sanchez also allocated $12 million from the City Council for capital improvements, maintenance, and other purposes.
“The Kingsbridge Armory is a majestic, incredible structure that could be activated to deliver so much to our community and the Bronx,” said Sanchez in a statement. “It could represent a catalyst for economic transformation in one of the neighborhoods hardest-hit by the pandemic, and that was already struggling economically prior to the pandemic. It could represent hundreds of good paying, union jobs.”
NWBCCC said the group is “encouraged” by the commitment of government funds to the community, but they are waiting to see if community values are responsibly implemented by the city and state. The community vision for the armory calls for “prioritizing youth, welcoming older adults, creating sustainable jobs and wealth for existing workers and communities, growing a regenerative local economy, maximizing community ownership, and putting the Bronx on the map.” Residents are also interested in seeing the massive space used for local film and TV, sustainable manufacturing, urban agriculture, vocational training, and a small business incubator.
“Public investment of this scale at the Kingsbridge Armory is significant given the decades of public and private disinvestment and displacement that grassroots groups across the Bronx have organized to disrupt and transform,” said NWBCCC. “Yet the traditional economic development playbook will yield short term gains and exacerbate the systemic challenges faced by community members.”
Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson added that she is firmly committed to working with the community to adhere to their plan. “This vision plan is not only a labor of love but is the result of months of planning, collaboration, input, and support from various stakeholders dedicated to ensuring Bronxites have a say in the future of the largest armory in our nation,” said Gibson in a statement.
Congressmember Adriano Espaillat said that he has advocated for the redevelopment of the armory throughout his career in public service along with his constituents. He announced that he secured federal House funding for capital improvements, like waterproofing, ensuring it’s free of hazardous materials, and structurally reinforced. “These actions are a testament that revitalization of the Armory is a priority for every level of government and that we are all committed to executing the communities’ vision for the Kingsbridge Armory,” said Espaillat.
Ariama C. Long is a Report for America corps member and writes about politics for the Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://bit.ly/amnews1.