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Published on January 07, 2025
"El Centro Kingsbridge" Set to Transform Bronx's Kingsbridge Armory into a Community and Economic HubSource: City of New York

Breaking ground both physically and metaphorically, Mayor Eric Adams, Governor Kathy Hochul, and U.S. Representative Adriano Espaillat, in conjunction with the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), have revealed their selected proposal for the redevelopment of Kingsbridge Armory. Dubbed "El Centro Kingsbridge," the project aims to repurpose the historic Bronx site into a vibrant hub for local community growth and economic revival.

Intending to draw nearly $2.6 billion in economic impact over three decades, Phase One of the sweeping redevelopment includes a variety of elements such as an event space, youth sports fields, and over 25,000 square feet of community area. With the announcement made by NYCEDC, it follows that the development team will be spearheaded by 8th Regiment Partners LLC, chosen through a competitive bidding process. Unfortunately, when revealing the second phase which incorporates 450 units of affordable housing, there was no mention of how the site would integrate with the surrounding neighborhood.

The collaboration arrives with enthusiasm for job creation - over 3,000 construction positions and hundreds of permanent roles are projected to come from the initiative, as per the NYC Mayor's Office release. Backing this economic drive is a $200 million collective investment from Mayor Adams and Governor Hochul, with additional financial support from Bronx Borough President Gibson, Councilmember Sanchez, and a grant steered by Representative Espaillat from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Reflecting the community's ambition for sustained prosperity, the proposal is heralded as a catalyst for regional unification. According to NYCEDC President and CEO Andrew Kimball, whose team painstakingly navigated a relentless nine-month public engagement endeavor, the comprehensive proposal "embraced the community’s vision plan for the Armory and demonstrated through their thoughtful design, programmatic uses, and financial viability that... they can finally deliver the economic engine and community amenities that the Bronx wants and deserves." Ensuring fair wages and benefits as construction kicks off, a project labor agreement is in place, resistant to the frigid winter delaying the environmental review process start.

The planning and consultation process helping to shape El Centro Kingsbridge touched on a wide range of voices from across industries, gathering insights via community meetings, small group dialogues, and over 950 survey responses. This exhaustive community remedy resulted in the "Together for Kingsbridge Vision Plan," which will inform not only the design but also the core functions of the multi-use facility. Inherently ambitious, the project aims to encompass the rich diversity and needs of the Bronx, with a strategic blend of cultural, commercial, and academic services coalescing within the historic armory's walls. Mayor Adams lauded the project as a brainchild of his administration's economic recovery blueprint and housing strategies, striving to mesh community infrastructure with equitable development opportunities.

The transformative prospects of El Centro Kingsbridge aren't lost on local representatives who hail from Kingsbridge and the wider Bronx borough. As New York City Councilmember Pierina Sanchez told the NYC Mayor's Office, the project's dedication to serving youth and fostering local economies paints the redevelopment as a harbinger of generational equity and vibrancy. With political momentum and the echoing voices of 4,000 constituents as its backbone, El Centro Kingsbridge stands as a testament to the power of collective visioning and the aspirational stride towards an empowered community future in the Bronx.