Kingsbridge Armory redevelopment to feature landmark community ownership deal

An atypical agreement laid the groundwork for a future rooted in community ownership at a revitalized Kingsbridge Armory.

The neglected structure will be 20 percent nonprofit-owned under a first-of-its-kind partnership between the Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition — a grassroots organization fighting for racial justice and “economic democracy” — and development firm 8th Regiment Partners.

At the heart of the pact is a plan to create a thriving economic hub, revitalizing the neighborhood and bringing long-term growth to the Bronx. 

“The Armory is more than just a building,” Assemblyman George Alvarez said. “This project must reflect the voices of the people who call this borough home.”

First opened in 1917, the Kingsbridge Armory is one of the last remaining armories in New York City and was utilized by the U.S. military until 1994. In 1974, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission formally recognized the building, describing it as “reputedly the largest armory in the world.” At 570,000 square feet, it spans an entire block. 

The armory was handed over to the city in 1996 and has since stood vacant. Numerous proposals to develop the site have failed over the decades, including one to create the world’s largest indoor ice skating rink — the Kingsbridge National Ice Center.

In January, the New York City Economic Development Corporation named 8th Regiment Partners, a joint venture of Maddd Equities and Joy Construction, as the developer leading the project. But the armory’s ultimate fate was revealed June 3, when the Community & Clergy Coalition announced it would take over up to 125,000 square feet of the site. 

This came after nine months of input from thousands of neighborhood voices in public workshops, town halls and surveys, culminating in a Together for Kingsbridge Vision Plan.

“The community was really clear that it wanted to see community ownership in a project where the development wasn’t just for the developer itself, it should really be a local economic engine,” Sandra Lobo, executive director of the coalition, said. “Community ownership was the number one priority. The committee said, ‘you cannot develop this armory without it.’”

The organization is set to establish unprecedented elements in a city-owned redevelopment, including two community-owned condominiums within the armory. These spaces will be managed through a master condo association, which will help guide key operational and strategic decisions.

Under the agreement, the coalition retains a 99-year lease for its portion of the armory. One condo will serve as a 25,000-square-foot community hub offering programming and services like workforce development and a worker cooperative business development.

The second condo — set to be up to 100,000 square feet — will be reserved for light manufacturing, allowing small-scale industrial operations to move in. Subleased at 20 percent below market rate, the aim is to encourage local entrepreneurship, as well as bring back iconic Bronx businesses lost to rising property costs, like Port Morris Distillery.

The South Bronx craft distillery, known for its traditional Puerto Rican moonshine called Pitorro, operated from 2010 until 2021. Despite pivoting to producing hand sanitizer during the COVID-19 pandemic, declining demand and financial strains forced it to shut its doors for good.

“The condo piece means that there’s no concern around being displaced in the future, so that is a really important stabilizing force for businesses,” Lobo said. “This is an opportunity to make the space affordable so they can actually stay in the Bronx.”

A new community council, co-convened by the coalition, will provide ongoing input on tenant selection, programming and additional strategies for long-term investment. It will also oversee a community benefit fund, financed by project revenues, to support initiatives focused on wealth-building and community ownership.

As for 8th Regiment Partners, it looks to transform the site into a mixed-use center with performance venues, sports fields, retail corridors and more community spaces.

A second phase included in the pact earlier this month allows the coalition to establish a 16-story residential tower with up to 500 affordable housing units across from the armory. Rents in that portion of the project would support local entrepreneurs and street vendors who want permanent storefronts.

The project is not without controversy. 

The developer who lost the bid to refresh the armory, Agallas Equities, sued the city and 8th Regiment in March, alleging corruption, favoritism and theft of intellectual property in the selection process. The lawsuit claims the Economic Development Corporation shared Agallas’ proposal details with 8th Regiment and acted with political bias. 

The corporation claims it rejected Agallas Equities for missing financial requirements after awarding the contract to 8th Regiment in January.

The suit is ongoing.

But with the new agreement now finalized, the project enters a critical phase. A Uniform Land Use Review Procedure has officially started, initiated by a public hearing held by Bronx Community Board 7. 

This months-long process includes detailed community input, environmental reviews and approvals by the community board, the Bronx borough president, city planning commission and City Council. Stakeholders will closely scrutinize the redevelopment plans, including the allocation of affordable manufacturing and community space, housing plans and infrastructure.

“We are taking a major step toward redeveloping a major community asset — one with potential to deliver transformative and inclusive economic growth,” said Council Member Pierina Sanchez, who co-chaired the Together for Kingsbridge Community Visioning Process.