In possibly the most hopeful sign yet for residents of Kingsbridge Heights, who have long awaited real momentum behind the redevelopment of the long-vacant, City-owned Kingsbridge Armory, the New York City Council voted “yes” on the latest redevelopment project, “The Kingsbridge Center (El Centro Kingsbridge),” on Wednesday, Oct. 29. The news follows dozens of envisioning meetings, surveys, outreach, workshops, several hearings, set-backs, drama and more drama for the country’s oldest armory along the way.

 

Council Member Pierina Sanchez (NY-14), and the city council, joined by other stakeholders, supporters, and elected officials, including Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) and State Sen. Gustavo Rivera (S.D. 33), celebrated the vote at City Hall to approve what they described as “a transformational redevelopment proposal and 500 units of affordable housing for the Armory, one that they said “is equitable, aligned with local needs, and accountable to the community for current and future generations to come.”

 

Officials from Sanchez’s office said the vote was grounded in $215 million in public investments committed during the onset of the process, a community benefits agreement, negotiated during the ULURP (Uniformed Land Use Review Procedure), described as historic, and valued at $130 million between the selected developer, 8th Regiment Partners, and more than 30 local organizations, including the Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition, the nonprofit which has spearheaded the project alongside Sanchez and others over many years.

 

NWBCCC even submitted its own bid as part of the City’s most recent RFP (Request for Proposal) launched in 2023 to redevelop the site. As reported, back in 2013, as part of the prevailing Kingsbridge Armory redevelopment discussions on the now-abandoned Kingsbridge National Ice Center (KNIC) project, NWBCCC had also worked tirelessly to broker with KNIC Management, the then-selected but now-abandoned developer, a first-of-its-kind community benefits agreement, and learned much from that prior process.

 

Meanwhile, government officials said the latest “Kingsbridge Center” project for the Kingsbridge Heights-based armory located on West Kingsbridge Road and Jerome Avenue, also includes “a first source hiring policy” that requires an exclusive 30-day hiring period for Bronxites, robust enforcement mechanisms, and an estimated $30 million in additional neighborhood investment from The City of New York.

 

“Today’s City Council vote marks a major step toward bringing Bronx communities together, creating hundreds of affordable homes, thousands of good-paying, local jobs, and a vibrant community space where neighbors can connect,” said New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. 

 

She added, “This project has been decades in the making, and now we’re finally getting it done. The Kingsbridge Armory will remain a cornerstone of the Bronx, driving economic growth and strengthening Kingsbridge Heights. Thank you to our partners in city and local government and community leaders for supporting this ambitious plan as we work together to get it over the finish line.”

 

Meanwhile, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said, “From training troops during the First World War to distributing food during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kingsbridge Armory has served our city for more than a century. With today’s vote, we begin work on the next chapter in its dynamic history and a brighter future for The Bronx.”

 

He added, “With hundreds of affordable homes and tens of thousands of square feet of commercial, community, and manufacturing space, this ambitious proposal will give the Bronx vital space to work, live, and come together. Other administrations have talked about transforming this space; our administration got it done. Thank you to all the thousands of community members who weighed in on the future of the armory and the community leaders who have supported it.”

 

After 30 years of vacancy and multiple, failed redevelopment attempts, the Council voted to advance the latest proposed plan, agreed in principle in January and brokered in more detail over the course of the summer, as reported, and set forth by New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), 8th Regiment Partners, and NWBCCC, backed by more than $375 million in City, State, federal and private funding.

 

City officials said the goals of the “Together for Kingsbridge” working group’s vision plan for the project were to prioritize youth, uplift older adults, foster intergenerational relationships, create jobs and wealth for local workers, grow a regenerative, Bronx-centered economy, and maximize community ownership.

“For me, today’s vote is deeply personal,” Sanchez said in part. “Having grown up in the shadows of the Kingsbridge Armory, I know what this structure represents: the immense potential of our community, decades of disinvestment, and now the promise of a better future for our people and the Bronx.”

 

Sandra Lobo, executive director of the NWBCCC and co-chair of the Together for Kingsbridge visioning process, said in part, “After more than three decades of planning, organizing, and negotiating with the people of Kingsbridge, this community benefits agreement will finally bring our community’s vision for the Kingsbridge Armory to life. “

 

City officials said the proposal approved by the Council will deliver $375 million in investments for the West Bronx from the City, State, and federal governments, including a $130 million community benefits agreement rooted in community ownership, a programmatic plan described as robust for the Kingsbridge community, and a continued community engagement process, also described as robust, that will continue into implementation.

 

They said public investment in the West Bronx of $245 million, stemming from the project, comprises $100 million in Armory capital (for construction) from the governor, as reported, $100 million in Armory capital (for construction) from the Adams administration, $12 million in Armory capital (for construction) from the City Council, and $3 million in Armory capital (for construction) from Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson.

 

Meanwhile, they said the breakdown of investments (both monetary and non-monetary) secured for the community under the deal includes $7 million for St James Park, located a block from the Armory, $2.5 million for a Small Business Support Fund (Kingsbridge and Jerome corridors), along with Small Business Services targeted support in the neighborhood, $400,000 for the Kingsbridge Economic Mobility Network (local workforce development), $200,000 for expanded ““Saturday Night Lights” programs in new schools, and new seats through the mayor’s universal after school program valued at $2.5 million.

They said it also includes a community safety planning process that will identify future investments, tenant organizing support in Bronx Community Board 5 and Bronx Community Board 7 through 2035, homeownership support through annual resource fairs, targeted outreach in partnership with local community-based organizations through 2028, and community oversight through a 15-seat community council made up of faith, cultural, small business, labor, youth, and other local stakeholders.

 

City officials said as part of the agreed community benefits agreement, valued at $130 million, there will be local procurement for the project, with a goal of at least 50% procurement from local businesses, local hiring, with a “first source” policy that will ensure robust employment opportunities for local residents, quality jobs with living wage requirements for applicable employers with a goal of reaching 40% full-time employees, union labor for Phase I construction and building operations, and Exceptional Environmental Standards, including an all-electric design, rooftop solar, stormwater prevention, air quality monitoring, and regular reporting on the building’s energy matrix.

 

Additionally, there will be street vending support, including street design sensitive to existing vendors, and business opportunities for street vendors in Armory programming and events, local Arts and Culture, including installations that highlight the Bronx’s unique cultural heritage, and concerts that feature Bronx-based artists.

 

Also secured is $250,000 and ongoing fundraising for a Community Benefit Fund to support pre-apprenticeship programs, local hiring, local procurement, paid internship, paid residency, and staffing support for the Armory Community Council. Officials said there will also be 1% gross revenue sharing for community ownership and wealth-building initiatives, and a $55.5 million value of below-market rent and fit-out of a Light Manufacturing Space.

 

Norwood News understands from speaking to various sources involved in the project that this is the value of how much the developer is subsidizing the rent and fit out to make it affordable.

 

Other wins include a $36.7 million value of below-market rent and fit-out of a Community Hub, and $27.9 million value of below-market rents for Phase II commercial space. Again, Norwood News understands that these figures represent the value of how much the developer is subsidizing the rent and fit out to make it affordable.

 

A further $17 million for an outdoor public space and ongoing maintenance has also been secured, along with two full-time employees to lead local hiring and job quality commitments, up to 25 Bronx graduations per year at minimal cost, 12 community events per year at minimal cost, free and discounted tickets for live event venue for Bronx residents, free and discounted access to the athletic facilities, and community oversight through a 15-seat community council made up of faith, cultural, small biz, labor, youth, and other local stakeholders.

Under Phase I of ”The Kingsbridge Center / El Centro Kingsbridge,” City officials said there will be a 17,000-person capacity, live events venue created for concerts, graduations, and other events, an entertainment arcade for youth sports, e-sports to be managed by established operators, a 95,000 square-foot community facility for cultural uses, 31,000 square feet of commercial offices, a 100,000 square-foot, below-market space to incubate small-scale, light manufacturing businesses in The Bronx, 250 parking spaces and loading areas, and 65,000 square feet of new public open space.

 

Under Phase II, they said there will be 450 to 500 affordable apartments, with a goal of 50% 2-bedroom and 3-bedroom units, 20,000 square feet of below-market commercial space, 80 parking spaces, around 3,000 construction jobs, 600 permanent jobs, and more. The housing will be located adjacent to the Armory, where currently the National Guard operates from two annexes on West 195th Street, between Jerome Avenue and Reservoir Avenue.

 

Reacting to the news, Espaillat said in part, “Today’s approval from the New York City Council is a significant step forward in the redevelopment of the Kingsbridge Armory, paving the way for the tremendous positive impact this project will have on residents who call the Bronx home.

 

Meanwhile, Rivera said in part, “This is a historic day for the community-led development, community ownership, and the future of the Kingsbridge Armory. I want to thank Councilmember Pierina Sanchez for fighting for everything our borough deserves and winning more than what we’re used to getting. Thank you to our community members for fighting for an Armory by us and for us and to the Northwest Bronx Community Clergy Coalition for holding all of us accountable to ensure that what’s built in the Armory belongs to us.’

 

For her part, Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson said in part, “With the reimagining of the Kingsbridge Armory, we will see affordable housing opportunities, good-paying union jobs with pathways to the middle class, recreational space for youth and families, support for small businesses, and a true commitment to equitable economic development in the Bronx that we have not seen for decades.”

While the Armory’s protected status as a historical building and the largest armory in the country limits what it can be used for, the latest  “The Kingsbridge Center (El Centro Kingsbridge),” two-phase project is a multi-use one, and is expected to be finalized some time in 2030 and 2032, respectively according to EDC.

 

As reported, earlier this year, a lawsuit was filed against various parties, including the City, the EDC CEO, and others by a losing RFP bidder, Agallas Equities, for the redevelopment of the Armory. Norwood News reached out to different involved parties for a status update on the lawsuit and will share more details as we receive them.