The future of the Kingsbridge Armory is beginning to take shape, as interested parties who want a piece of the massive 570,000-square-foot space have begun reaching out to the city-selected developer, 8th Regiment Partners, which encompasses Maddd Equities and Joy Construction LLC.
While no leases or other guarantees have been signed, 8th Regiment said it has begun considering several proposals and shared details exclusively with the Bronx Times ahead of Community Board 7’s Land Use Committee on May 13, where the developer will present the information.
Most notable among the interested parties is Live Nation, the international entertainment company that promotes concerts and ticket sales, operates music venues and manages artists’ careers.
The company has also come under controversy, as last year, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Live Nation and Ticketmaster, one of its subsidiaries, accusing them of monopolistic practices that drive up prices for eventgoers and shut out competition.
Details of the interested parties and their proposed uses for the armory are as follows:
LIVE NATION: a 17,000-person music venue space for Live Nation productions, which would be used by the company approximately 50 days per year and could host sports and community events on the remaining days. Live Nation seeks 80,000 square feet of dedicated space for green rooms, loading, crew lounge, etc., plus 180,000 square feet of shared space.
LEHMAN COLLEGE: 5,000 square feet that could potentially house the Lehman College Mexican Cultural Institute and a collaboration with the School of Continuing and Professional Studies.
KINGSBRIDGE HEIGHTS COMMUNITY CENTER: a 25,000-square foot community services center that could include early childhood education, afterschool programs, workforce training, health and wellness programs, family counseling and events.
RPM (RACE PLAY MORE): approximately 70,000 square feet of tech experiences for all ages, including arcades and gaming, immersive virtual reality and augmented reality games and a multi-level raceway.
ASPHALT GREEN: shared and dedicated space for athletic programming, including soccer, basketball, fitness center, and more.
DOMINICANOS USA: 5,000 square feet for a gaming lab.
“During the past few months, we have heard from a wide array of entities looking to be a part of the long-term vision for this historic building. We are proud to have drawn serious interest from Live Nation, RPM, Asphalt Green, Lehman College, the Kingsbridge Heights Community Center and Dominicanos USA, and look forward to incorporating them into our plans for El Centro Kingsbridge as the public review process unfolds,” a spokesperson for 8th Regiment Partners said in a statement.
What ends up filling the long-unused armory is sure to be a subject of debate, and an idea that has already proven controversial is Mayor Eric Adams’ discussion of building a semiconductor manufacturing plant inside the armory.
Adams said on the cable news show “Piers Morgan Uncensored” that he discussed the possibility with President Donald Trump in January as an idea for bringing tech jobs into NYC. Trump has imposed steep tariffs on every country, but the highest on China, in an effort to bring manufacturing back to the United States and decrease dependence on other countries for items such as the vital semiconductor chips that power our cell phones, computers, hospital electronics and more.
“There’s a place in the Bronx where we just put $100 million into an armory there. And I want to produce and develop chips there, so we don’t continue to be dependent on sources outside the country,” Adams said on the show.
The 8th Regiment spokesperson did not specify a stance on the semiconductor idea but said in a statement that “we have made no secret that we would consider bringing high paying technology jobs as the light manufacturing component of our project. We look forward to continuing our work with local elected officials, community stakeholders and the Bronx community to bring a project forward for this historic site that works for everyone.”
However, some community members are already strongly opposed to the semiconductor plant idea.
In an email obtained by the Bronx Times, a resident voiced concern about the environmental and health impacts of such manufacturing plants, especially given the armory’s proximity to several schools. The resident asked the DOE Panel for Educational Policy to look into the issue and hold an emergency meeting.
“The Bronx already bears NYC’s highest pollution burden. Adding a fabrication plant near schools (disproportionately serving Black, Latino, and low-income students) is indefensible,” the email said.
Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
