Editor’s Note: The following article is an extended version of the story that appears in our latest print edition.

With a few notable exceptions, including Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson, everyone who was anyone in terms of Bronx elected officials was present for a high-profile press conference held inside the long-vacant Kingsbridge Armory on Tuesday, Aug. 8, when it was announced that the armory redevelopment project is to receive a major boost in the form of City and State-backed funding of $200 million.

 

Among the elected officials present for the announcement were New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Congressmen Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) and Jamaal Bowman (NY-16), Deputy Bronx Borough President Janet Peguero, State Sens. Jamaal Bailey (S.D. 36), Gustavo Rivera (S.D. 33), Robert Jackson (S.D. 31), Assembly Members Jeffrey Dinowitz (A.D. 81), Yudelka Tapia (A.D. 86), and George Alvarez (A.D. 78), Council Members Pierina Sanchez (C.D. 14), Eric Dinowitz (C.D. 11), Marjorie Velazquez (C.D. 13), Rafael Salamanca (C.D. 17) and more.

“After years of dwelling on the history of the Kingsbridge Armory, we are finally looking ahead to its remarkable future. I know how critical the future of the Armory is to this community and to the entire borough of The Bronx, which is why I prioritized locking in $100 million in State funding that will allow this transformative project to move forward,” the governor said.

 

“Working with local leaders and our partners in the City of New York, the Kingsbridge Armory will anchor this neighborhood, address longstanding community needs, and boost the local economy and I anticipate a project labor agreement to create good-paying union jobs at this site as we work to bring this project to fruition.”

The “Together for Kingsbridge” vision plan follows a nine-month, community-led, envisioning process during which 4,000 residents provided input into what they would like to see in place inside the historic structure, the largest armory in the nation, located in the Kingsbridge Heights section of The Bronx.

 

Rooted in community priorities and drawing on growing industries, the vision plan “focuses on creating family-sustaining, local jobs and improving the quality of life for residents of Kingsbridge Heights and neighboring Bronx communities,” according to government officials. They said the redevelopment project also aims to deliver on a commitment in the mayor’s economic blueprint, with the potential to deliver over 1,800 jobs and up to $10 billion in economic impact.

For his part, the mayor said, “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.” He added, “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.”

 

Also highly visible on the day, in their signature, yellow shirts and in large numbers, were members of the Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition, led by executive director, Sandra Lobo, who has long campaigned to redevelop the armory into a thriving resource for residents and small businesses alike, and who is a staunch advocate of community-owned and led initiatives. Other attendees included New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) President and CEO Andrew Kimball.

Officials said the latest plan will inform and kick off the request for proposal process next month and provide guidance to interested private partners on what the community and NYCEDC will look for in any future activation.

 

They said the project also represents another example of close city-state collaboration outlined in the “New” New York panel’s action plan, investing in job centers with access to mass transit and builds on several of Hochul’s key economic development priorities, including strategic investments in infrastructure, workforce development, and 21st century growth sectors to support good, high-paying jobs.

Sanchez, who is the local councilmember for the area, and who was described as  a “star” by Espaillat during his address, said, “The Kingsbridge Armory is a majestic, incredible structure that could be activated to deliver so much to our community and the Bronx.” The councilwoman continued, “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.”

 

Planning efforts for the Kingsbridge Armory date back nearly three decades and include two requests for proposals that failed to advance through the City Council or obtain necessary financing. Over the last decade, the armory has served as an emergency supply and food distribution center following Hurricane Sandy, at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and after the Twin Parks fire.

Rivera was credited by Hochul during her remarks with turning what had been an annual State loan earmarked for the project into a grant. We later asked the senator how that came about. He said, “It was a conversation between the City and State. A couple of years ago, it was a battle with the former [State administration] to be able to secure a chunk of money with the recommendation that the last project [the Kingsbridge National Ice Center] required a boost and so we did that.

 

Rivera, in turn, credited Hochul, on taking office, for ensuring that the earmarked funds remained in the budget for the armory and acknowledged that it was needed and that it would strictly be used for the armory site alone.

For her part, Lobo later shared with Norwood News her thoughts on the funding announcement and next stage of the process, “This is an important step,” she said cautiously. “It signifies progress but it’ll ultimately be measured by what is the development project going to invest in? Is it going to be a project that exacerbates displacement and some of the inequities of our community or is it going to be something that invests in community ownership and good jobs with benefit and that’ll be the ultimate litmus test.”