Since last fall, the Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance, known as KARA, has advocated for a strong, substantial and binding agreement that would give the community additional benefits from the long-vacant Kingsbridge Armory’s city-subsidized transformation into a shopping mall.

The Alliance, which consists of community groups, unions, local clergy and residents, wants to see a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) with a big-time developer (The Related Companies), the likes of which New York City has never seen. It would include guarantees of living wage jobs for employees at the Armory, union protections, more community and youth recreational space, and environmental protections.

It appears unlikely, however, that a CBA will be in place by next Tuesday, July 14, when Community Board 7 votes on whether or not to support The Related Companies’ proposal to turn the Kingsbridge Armory into a mall.

For this reason, KARA wants Board members to vote “no” on the proposal while it works to craft a CBA behind the scenes with Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. and the leaders of Board 7.

Greg Faulkner, the chairman of Board 7, was hoping Board members wouldn’t have to vote on the project until the fall, which would have given the parties enough time to put together a CBA before it made any decisions.

Regardless of how the vote goes down, Board 7, the borough president’s office and KARA have begun discussions on what would be included in a CBA.

The Board and KARA appear to agree on the majority of issues they want included, and the two groups recently met for a closed-door meeting at the borough president’s office to begin to hammer out the details and iron out the sticking points. 

Those details remain sketchy as Diaz has instructed the parties not to speak with the media about any of the negotiations and Deep Throat has yet to emerge.

John DeSio, Diaz’s spokesperson, however, offered a faint glimpse into what might be happening. He said the borough president would act as a kind of “middle man” between KARA and Board 7 and the “lead negotiator” with Related. He said the meeting was “postitive,” but wouldn’t go into any specific details.

He said a good number of Diaz’s staff, including his chief of staff, Paul Delduca as well as the president of the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation (BOEDC), Ray Salaberrios, would be working on the negotiations.

DeSio said the borough president’s office felt urgency in creating an agreement. “We have to move quickly and work at an accelerated pace,” he said. 

Though he wouldn’t go into what would be included in the benefits agreement, DeSio said, “It will be something significant. Something where all sides will be pleased.”