by Michelle Mullen<\/p>\n
After sitting vacant for more than three decades, the Kingsbridge Armory is finally on track for a full transformation.<\/p>\n
The New York City Council voted unanimously on Oct. 29 to approve land-use changes required to advance the project.\u00a0 It\u2019s a milestone Bronx leaders crowned a landmark moment for community-led development and neighborhood investment.<\/p>\n
Leading the effort was City Council Member Pierina Sanchez, who represents District 14, where the armory is located.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me, today\u2019s vote is deeply personal,\u201d she said in a statement. \u201cHaving grown up in the shadows of the Kingsbridge Armory, I know what this structure represents: the immense potential of our community, decades of disinvestment, and now the promise of a better future for our people and the Bronx.\u201d<\/p>\n
Led by the New York City Economic Development Corporation, 8th Regiment Partners, and the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition, the redevelopment plan will bring more than $375 million in combined city, state, federal and private investment.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter thirty years of vacancy and four years of tireless work, we are finally transforming that potential into promise,\u201d Sanchez said. \u201cThis project delivers a $130 million Community Benefits Agreement \u2014 one of the largest in city history \u2014 guaranteeing local hiring, union jobs, support for small businesses, cultural programming, and real community oversight.\u201d<\/p>\n
Once construction begins, the 600,000-square-foot redevelopment will include a 17,000-person live events venue, 95,000 square feet of community and cultural space, 100,000 square feet of light-manufacturing space for Bronx businesses, and about 500 permanently affordable apartments during the project\u2019s second phase.<\/p>\n
Developers and city officials say the plan will generate more than 3,000 construction jobs and 600 permanent jobs, with a focus on employing Bronx residents.<\/p>\n
The Community Benefits Agreement also includes commitments to union labor, living wages, and environmental design standards such as rooftop solar, stormwater management and air-quality monitoring.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a historic day for community-led development, community ownership, and the future of the Kingsbridge Armory,\u201d said State Sen. Gustavo Rivera in a statement. \u201cI am grateful to Council Member Pierina Sanchez for fighting for everything our borough deserves and winning more than what we\u2019re used to getting.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a statement, Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson called the Council vote a \u201ctestament to our shared commitment to driving unprecedented investment back into our borough.\u201d<\/p>\n
She later added \u201cwith the reimagining of the Kingsbridge Armory, we will see affordable housing opportunities, good-paying union jobs with pathways to the middle class, recreational space for youth and families, support for small businesses, and a true commitment to equitable economic development in the Bronx that we have not seen for decades.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The project follows years of organizing by community leaders and residents who helped craft the Together for Kingsbridge Vision Plan, a blueprint developed through 20 public events and 900 survey responses.<\/p>\n
Council Member Eric Dinowitz, who represents neighboring District 11, praised the redevelopment\u2019s potential to benefit the wider Bronx community.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis redevelopment will create new opportunities for residents to access business, entertainment, housing and community resources,\u201d Dinowitz said. \u201cBy bringing more people to the Bronx, activating commercial and event spaces, and supporting local businesses, the project is critical to driving economic growth, creating jobs, and strengthening the borough as a center for commerce and culture.\u201d<\/p>\n
The redevelopment is expected to begin construction in 2026 following mayoral review and final permitting. It comes after two previous failed redevelopment attempts \u2014 efforts that stalled in part due to community opposition and the absence of an enforceable benefits agreement.<\/p>\n
This time, Sanchez said, the difference lies in accountability and collaboration.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a blueprint for equitable development, accountability, and opportunity \u2014 made by and for the people of this community,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
For many in Kingsbridge, the unanimous vote represents more than just the revival of a building; it symbolizes a turning point for the borough\u2019s economic future.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday, we have proven that possibility doesn\u2019t just exist \u2014 it is created \u2014 by our collective hopes, our shared struggle, and our dreams for the future,\u201d Sanchez said. \u201cOur commitment doesn\u2019t end here \u2014 now, we see this project through.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\tKeywords<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\tKingsbridge Armory,\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t Bronx redevelopment,\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t Pierina Sanchez,\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t Community Benefits Agreement,\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t Bronx jobs,\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t affordable housing,\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t economic development\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"by Michelle Mullen After sitting vacant for more than three decades, the Kingsbridge Armory is finally on track…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":362417,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5122],"tags":[852,5229,175802,175800,92403,12613,111413,405,403,5226,5225,5228,5227,175801,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":{"0":"post-362416","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-york","8":"tag-affordable-housing","9":"tag-america","10":"tag-bronx-jobs","11":"tag-bronx-redevelopment","12":"tag-community-benefits-agreement","13":"tag-economic-development","14":"tag-kingsbridge-armory","15":"tag-new-york","16":"tag-new-york-city","17":"tag-newyork","18":"tag-newyorkcity","19":"tag-ny","20":"tag-nyc","21":"tag-pierina-sanchez","22":"tag-united-states","23":"tag-united-states-of-america","24":"tag-unitedstates","25":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","26":"tag-us","27":"tag-usa"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115509032647657353","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/362416","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=362416"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/362416\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/362417"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=362416"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=362416"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=362416"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}