NEW YORK—The City Council voted on Monday, in a whopping 45-to-1 decision, against the redevelopment of the Kingsbridge Armory in the Bronx as proposed by the Bloomberg administration.
The 575,000 square-feet Armory, once used by the National Guard, has been vacant since 1996. It was proposed to be redeveloped by the Related Company and turned into a shopping center, promising 1,200 new jobs and 1,000 constructions jobs for the community.
However not everyone saw eye to eye with the proposed plan. The Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance (KARA) has been constantly fighting the redevelopment plan, particularly the Related Company’s refusal to ensure a living work wage for workers set at $10 an hour with benefits.
“What we wanted all along was to have the Armory developed in such a way that not only the developer and the tenants benefit, but also the people of the borough of the Bronx,” Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz in a statement. “What today’s vote confirms is that we can no longer support any project that only ensures profits for the developer while leaving the people of the Bronx in poverty.”
In a statement, Mayor Bloomberg voiced his disappointment:
“Today’s vote against the Kingsbridge Armory redevelopment project means the loss of a rare opportunity to bring thousands of jobs and more than $300 million in private investment to The Bronx. Given that the national recession continues to weigh on the entire city and keep unemployment high—particularly in The Bronx—the outcome and timing couldn’t be worse.”
Early on, when plans were being laid, a community task force was set up to ensure the interests of the community were represented. After many meetings, Diaz and KARA stipulated that developers would have to ensure living wages, local hiring, the right for retail workers to join a union free of intimidation, community recreation space, and no big box grocery store.
Bloomberg does not support the living wage requirement, citing economic stress it puts on business owners.
In a press statement, KARA leader Desiree Pilgrim-Hunter said that this is a bittersweet victory.
“We want the Armory developed. Unfortunately, the Bloomberg administration chose to kill the project rather than require the developer, the Related Companies, to sign a binding Community Benefits Agreement that guaranteed living wages and other benefits for the community,” said Pilgrim-Hunter.
