Norwood News

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. has asked for and received an extension on his deadline to submit a recommendation for the Kingsbridge Armory mall project, saying he first wants to see how the project’s developer responds to a proposed Community Benefits Agreement (CBA).

As city law mandates, Diaz is in the process of weighing the pros and cons of the Related Companies’ land use review application, which, if approved, would pave the way for the developer’s plan to turn the 575,000-square-foot Armory into a retail shopping mall.

He was supposed to announce his recommendation by Aug. 24. He now has until Sept. 8.

Last Monday, Aug. 17, Diaz’s office sent Related a draft of an agreement that would bring the community additional benefits from the project aside from new shopping options and retail jobs.

The agreement was a collaborative effort, hashed out by Diaz’s office, Community Board 7, the Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance (KARA) and local elected officials.

“We do not want to say yes or no on the ULURP application until we have some idea from the developer regarding their direction on the CBA,” said Diaz spokesperson John DeSio, in an e-mail. He added in a later e-mail: “Logistics made this process extremely difficult to complete by the original deadline of Aug. 24, thus making the extension necessary.”

According to Greg Faulkner, the chairman of Community Board 7, who was heavily involved in the benefits agreement negotiations, the draft CBA would require that businesses at the Amory mall pay their employees a living wage ($10 an hour, plus benefits), something KARA has lobbied hard for over the past year.

In mid-July, Board 7 voted yes on the project with the condition, among others, that a substantial and enforceable CBA be signed by Related. In response, Related agreed that a benefits agreement would be appropriate for the project, but didn’t commit to a timetable for when it would be signed or what kinds of benefits would be included.

Also included in the draft CBA sent to Related last week, Faulkner said, are local hiring goals, a labor neutrality agreement (allowing workers to unionize) and mechanisms to protect and create affordable housing in the area. Also, an advisory committee made up of community members and elected officials would oversee the agreement’s implementation.

The draft agreement also includes language prohibiting a big-box supermarket at the Armory. Related had carved out space in the Armory’s basement for a 60,000-square-foot supermarket and Board 7 members had voted to support a new supermarket with organic food options. But Morton Williams, a local supermarket chain, had lobbied hard against an Armory supermarket and had the support of the entire Bronx delegation to the City Council (see page 2). 

A month ago, Diaz listened to more than three hours of public testimony on the project at Lehman College. A majority of speakers, many of them KARA supporters, urged Diaz to vote against the project if there wasn’t a strong benefits agreement in place within the City Charter’s 30-day window, which began at the end of July. While he wouldn’t commit to voting no without a CBA in place, Diaz did say, “I will push as hard as I can.”

Diaz’s vote is advisory, though it could have an impact on how the City Council votes in a couple of months.

CBAs have become common practice for big development projects in California and have gained popularity in other parts of the country, but the few signed in New York City have been criticized for being unsubstantial and lacking true community involvement. The Armory CBA would be the first driven by community voices, including Board 7 and KARA.