By Adolfo Abreu

As I get ready to go back to school, I like to look back on my summer vacation. I am proud to say that this summer I led hundreds of neighborhood youth in the Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance’s campaign to make sure that the redevelopment of the Armory serves the needs of our community.

In particular, the members of Sistas and Brothas United want new schools built, community and recreation space for youth activities and economic benefits, and that means living wage jobs at the Armory.

We testified at Community Board 7’s two public hearings on the Armory. Even though they did not decide in the community’s favor, we were not discouraged.

We went ahead and held a Responsible Development Rally where hundreds of our neighbors, young and old, rallied and then marched to the Armory.

We also turned out in force and spoke out at Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz’s hearing. He even commented on how proud he was that we were so involved, taking the time to attend hearings on our summer vacation.

These are all positive examples of young people organizing for their community.

Members of Sistas and Brothas United are active because what happens with the Armory will affect our parents and ourselves and we want to make sure that whatever happens, there is good for our community.

Right now, the focus of the development by The Related Companies is just a shopping mall. The young people who I worked with over the summer say that we already have Fordham Road for shopping. What we need is community space, and living wage jobs — that’s what the neighborhood is lacking.

In our community, you cannot survive on the minimum wage.

Rent, electric bills, and food add up to more than you can make in a minimum wage job. We believe that the development at the Armory will not uplift our community from our economic problems unless there are living wage jobs there.

So, if the Armory is going to be developed, we need to make sure we get a Community Benefits Agreement that includes more community space than the developer has set aside, we need to make sure that the jobs in the Armory pay a living wage, and that there is local hiring for the jobs.

Adolfo Abreu, 16, is president of the board of Sistas and Brothas United, the youth organizing arm of the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition. He attends Bronx Center for Science and Mathematics High School and will be a page in the U.S. House of Representatives this fall.