Norwood News

Our new borough president did something plainly logical, but nonetheless refreshing, this week. Coming up on a deadline to vote yay or nay on a Kingsbridge Armory redevelopment proposal from the Related Companies, Diaz essentially said he didn’t have enough information and needed more time. He got his wish. 

Diaz, propelled by a vigorous community campaign for a real community benefits agreement, wants to know how the developer is going to respond to a draft agreement hammered out by Diaz, the Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance, and Community Board 7.

Asking a developer what it is going to give back to the community in return for significant taxpayer subsidies before voting on a project should be standard operating procedure in this city. The fact that community boards and borough presidents are routinely required to weigh in before all the i’s are dotted and t’s are crossed on these agreements just shows you how groundbreaking this minor request for a timeout is, and how stacked in favor of developers the process is.

We know Diaz is under a lot of pressure to OK a project that will create new jobs at a time when the city is hemorrhaging them. But it’s also the borough president’s job to make sure that the redevelopment of a community facility like the Armory is put to good community use and that the jobs created are good ones, rather than poverty-inducing ones the city’s taxpayers have to subsidize with various forms of public assistance. 

We encourage Diaz to drive a hard bargain on the Armory. If he succeeds where other borough presidents haven’t, he will set the tone for all future development projects in the borough and serve as a role model for the city.