A group of students recently crafted a plan on how to revitalize the Kingsbridge Armory and make it a vibrant place for the community.
For years, people have been trying to convert the Armory into an ice hockey rink but nothing has come to fruition. So tge American Planning Association’s Diversity Committee and Mission Society paired up with students from English Language Learners & International Support (ELLIS) Preparatory Academy at 99 Terrace View Ave., to find a way to make the Armory serviceable.
The teens proposed creating a fun place that will improve the quality of life and motivate kids to do projects in their neighborhood. The kids held vision sessions on Sept. 23 and 30 to talk about the Armory. The consensus was for it to be turned into a sports facility, complete with a gym, pool and basketball courts.
“The Kingsbridge Armory has been getting dusty and being forgotten by the community,” said Sebastian Munoz, one of the student planners. “We want to make the Armory a service for the community. However, we do not want to decide what to do with Armory by ourselves. For that reason, we have decided to make a survey and hear the voices of the community and from them what they want and need.”
The survey is available in five different languages: English, Spanish, French, Bengali and Arabic.
Student planner Bianka Pena hopes that their presentation can lead to tangible improvements for the community.
“We are a group of teenagers wondering about helping the community and making a change,” Pena said. “We are working on making the Kingsbridge Armory a place where the community can feel safe, secure and take advantage of it.”
Community Board 7 District Manager Ischia Bravo sat in on the meeting and invited the kids to present to CB7 in the future.
For more information, visit Kingsbridge Armory Project.
