The Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition has been organizing for over 30 years to transform the Kingsbridge Armory, a long-abandoned fortress, into an inclusive and equitable, community-centered development project that would serve as a sustainable economic engine for the borough and the region.
This vision is one step closer to reality after the NWBCCC signed an unprecedented agreement with 8th Regiment Partners, the developer selected by the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) to transform the Armory. The agreement incorporates key elements of the Together for Kingsbridge Vision Plan informed by the more than 4,000 Bronx residents who shared their priorities for the redevelopment.
“We’re proud to have secured a model that reflects what the community has always called for: shared governance, community ownership and real investment in our people,” said Sandra Lobo, Executive Director of the NWBCCC, part of the People’s Action national network of grassroots powerbuilding groups.
“Through community-owned condos, democratic decision-making and a structure for long-term investment in local businesses and workers, this agreement begins to fulfill our collective vision of building a more just, resilient and self-determined Bronx,” Lobo added.
Among the elements of the agreement are:
- – one fifth of the site will be reserved for community ownership, with 25,000 square feet for community, workforce and cooperative business development, and 100,000 square feet for light manufacturing space for Bronx businesses displaced from the borough
- – 20,000 square feet of affordable commercial space for small and local businesses
- – high environmental standards and labor protections
- – a Community Council co-convened by NWBCCC, and a Community Benefit Fund to provide ongoing input and accountability, and support long-term local investments in shared wealth-building and community ownership
“NWBCCC has been at the heart of every conversation—listening, organizing, and showing up for Bronx residents on the ground,” said State Senator Robert Jackson. Their leadership is exactly what’s needed to ensure this development delivers real justice, real investment, and real results for the people of the Bronx.”
“It is encouraging that a historic organizing force from our community will have a seat at the table in the Armory’s transformation process,” said State Senator Gustavo Rivera. “Our community’s aspirations, needs, and concerns about this development must be thoroughly reflected in a legally binding Community Benefits Agreement that includes enforceable anti-displacement measures to protect small businesses and clear frameworks for community ownership and revenue-sharing mechanisms to directly benefit local residents.
The first phase of the overall project will consist of a mixed-use development with a state-of-the-art venue space and entertainment uses, sports fields, cultural and commercial space, light industrial manufacturing space, an educational facility focused on workforce development, and over 25,000 square feet of dedicated community space. Phase two includes approximately 450 units of permanently affordable rental housing adjacent to the Armory.
With the agreement, the Kingsbridge Armory redevelopment project now advances through New York City’s public approval process, the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP). The project has a commitment to $200 million in funding from New York Governor Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams, along with $2 million from Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, $12 million from City Council Member Pierina Sanchez, and a $1.05 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
“The transformation of this historic castle in the heart of the West Bronx is more than a redevelopment project; it’s a once-in-a-generation opportunity to spark economic growth, empower our neighborhoods, and deliver on a promise of equity and opportunity,” said Gibson.
