Letter from NYCEDC’s President and CEO
Early this year, the New York City Selects Developers for Long-Abandoned Kingsbridge Armory. The Kingsbridge Armory is a historic military facility located in the heart of the Kingsbridge Heights neighborhood of the Bronx.
One of the few remaining armories in New York City, the Kingsbridge Armory opened in 1917 and was used throughout the first half of the 20th century. Designated as a New York City Landmark in 1974, the Armory was listed on the New York State and the National Register of Historical Places in 1982. The Armory was transferred to the City of New York in 1996.
The city Economic Development Corporation has selected 8th Regiment Partners LLC, a joint venture between real estate firm Maddd Equities (Principal Jorge Madruga) LLC and Joy Construction Corporation, to develop the 570,000 sq. ft. Kingsbridge Armory, the public-benefit corporation told THE CITY on Monday.
The selection of the developer in a bidding process that launched last September marks a major turning point for a national landmark that has been vacant since the city took over the property in 1996. A previous attempt to turn it into a national ice center collapsed after years of legal battles.
The new development partnership comes as the borough is in the midst of a development boom, including a recent rezoning that potentially allows for 7,000 apartments near four new Metro North train stations in the East Bronx and waterfront projects along the Bronx and Harlem Rivers in Mott Haven, Soundview and University Heights that have sparked concerns about the possibility of displacement of longtime residents and small business owners.
After a successful community engagement process, New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and the Together for Kingsbridge Community Working Group are proud to release the Together for Kingsbridge Vision Plan. This Vision Plan is not just the culmination of nine months of intensive community engagement, but of more than 30 years of community organizing around the adaptive reuse of the Kingsbridge Armory. We are so grateful for the continued leadership, commitment, and passion shown by the neighborhood’s many community organizations in their decades-long work organizing and mobilizing support for reuse of the Kingsbridge Armory that transforms this long underutilized facility into a beacon of opportunity for the community and the Bronx. We are particularly thankful for the efforts of our partner, the Together for Kingsbridge Community Working Group, a 25-member group that has worked with us since the beginning of this effort. Without their leadership, we would not have reached this point. We are also so thankful for the efforts of Council Member Pierina Sanchez and other elected officials throughout this planning process. Because of their tireless work, the Kingsbridge Heights community has a seat at the table, helping to guide and shape the Armory’s future. Throughout this
process, we heard about the need in the Bronx for quality jobs and career pathways for the borough’s young and dynamic workforce. We are working to ensure that this project delivers those opportunities, contributes to equitable economic development, and ensures this community gets the investment it deserves, while strengthening New York City’s economy. Together with this unprecedented coalition of community members and elected officials at the City, State, and federal levels, we are excited to continue working to make this vision a reality.
Sincerely, Andrew Kimball
President & CEO New York City Economic Development Corporation
“The Together for Kingsbridge Vision Plan is a culmination of nine months of extensive neighborhood planning, robust community engagement, and industry discussions for a practical and implementable vision for the adaptive reuse of the Kingsbridge Armory.”