Last week after a hearing downtown, Councilman Fernando Cabrera, whose district includes the Kingsbridge Armory, said he believes a developer will be chosen to re-invigorate the hulking empty castle. He just doesn’t know when.

“Ask the EDC,” Cabrera said, referring to the city’s Economic Development Corporation, the quasi-governmental agency controlled by the mayor that is in charge of the Armory project. (The EDC didn’t respond to questions about the Armory.)

It’s been more than 14 months since the EDC first released a request for proposals to redevelop the Armory.
Early on, two finalists emerged: the Kingsbridge National Ice Center partners, which envisioned the Armory as the world’s largest ice sports complex, and Young Woo and Associates, which wants to turn the Armory into a flexible town square-style market, with entertainment, recreation and business incubator space.

In early January, EDC officials said a decision was coming “soon.” But two months later, it’s unclear what’s going on and Cabrera isn’t talking. He is on the record saying he will not vote for a proposal that doesn’t include a community benefits agreement, which would most likely include thousands of feet of programmable community space, job training programs, local hiring requirements and funding for youth programs.

For the past month, representatives of the Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance (KARA) have been trying to hammer out a CBA with the ice center group. But there hasn’t been any word about progress on those talks.

“It’s going to happen,” Cabrera said, allowing that it may take some time and patience. “If not with this mayor, then the next. We only have one shot at this. We want to make sure it’s done right.”