At a recent City Council hearing on the Kingsbridge Armory redevelopment, residents and lawmakers voiced support for the project while pressing for details on how the neighborhood will be protected from displacement.
The Sept. 30 meeting of the Land Use Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Sitings and Dispositions heard testimony from the development and design team and dozens of residents, as well as Borough President Vanessa Gibson, State Sen. Gustavo Rivera and Council Members Pierina Sanchez and Oswald Feliz.
If the development proceeds as planned, the landmarked armory and surrounding Kingsbridge neighborhood will undergo a major transformation in the coming years.
Plans for the long-vacant armory include a 17,000-seat event venue, food hall, retail, community space, workforce development center, sports facilities, parking garages, a light manufacturing facility and more. The second phase of the project will create approximately 500 affordable housing units next to the structure.
These ideas were developed with input from more than 4,000 stakeholders who contributed via meetings and surveys to the “Together for Kingsbridge” vision plan.
The developer 8th Regiment, represented at the hearing by Jorge Madruga, was awarded the contract in Jan. and later agreed to terms with the nonprofit Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition (NWBCCC) on a partial ownership stake, marking a significant investment in the Kingsbridge community.
Representatives from the NYC Economic Development Corporation (NYC EDC), design firm Fx Collaborative and NWBCCC also attended the hearing and responded to questions in this early phase of the project.
‘Passive neglect’
Elected officials and residents emphasized that the redevelopment must bolster, not deplete, the local community.
At the hearing, Council Member Sanchez expressed concern about potential rent increases and the displacement of neighborhood businesses and street vendors.
She asked for the city to commit to an “anti-displacement fund” and for a specific street vending plan to be incorporated into the overall design. “The city must protect these small businesses.”
Sanchez said that the city did not keep all its promises from the Jerome Ave. rezoning, which was approved in 2018. The project was supposed to include $2 million to support small businesses in the rezoned area, but the funds were “repurposed” and ultimately expired, she said.
“This is a hard line for us,” said Sanchez. “If the promises of the past are not kept, we’re not going to be able to have a productive conversation going forward.”
She also said at least 50% of the new apartments should be 2- and 3-bedroom units to accommodate families, to which the developer agreed on principle.
Sen. Rivera, who testified virtually, said the city should “break even” on the project and turn over more benefits to the borough.
He said the Bronx has suffered “passive neglect” over the years. “The Bronx receives less services, less funding and less investment than anywhere else, and I believe that EDC must recognize that this project is a chance at redemption,” said Rivera.
The armory development must be “a chance to get what we are owed,” not “a boon to the city coffers, he said. “This development project must be for the Bronx and no one else.”
Other speakers represented Bronx Community College, the social services nonprofit Part of the Solution (POTS), longtime Kingsbridge residents, street vendors and young people.
Like the elected officials, they spoke of the armory development as a promising opportunity that must be handled responsibly in terms of environmental safety, traffic mitigation and protection of local residents. Other public hearings, such as the July hearing at the KIPP School near the armory, yielded similar testimony.
Many details of the project are still being worked out as the land use process continues. 8th Regiment has already received the required approval from the Landmarks Preservation Commission and plans to break ground in 2026.
The project is expected to generate $2.6 billion in economic impact over 30 years and has attracted substantial funding from all levels of government, including $12 million secured by Sanchez, $200 million from Mayor Eric Adams and Governor Kathy Hochul, $2 million from Gibson and $1.05 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) through the support of Rep. Adriano Espaillat.
Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
