Fourteen years after the National Guard handed the city its keys to the Kingsbridge Armory, we are finally at a point where something positive may happen there.

A developer has been selected, the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition is tenaciously fighting to make sure that its priorities are realized in the final plan, and a newly invigorated Community Board 7 is taking seriously the advisory role given it by the City Charter.

This is great news. But we hope these two community entities can maintain a united front despite apparent tensions.

The Coalition wants the Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance (KARA), an umbrella group it formed, to negotiate a solid community benefits agreement with the developer, The Related Companies. Community Board 7 chair Greg Faulkner has requested that there be Board participation on KARA’s negotiating team. The Coalition has rejected that request and has generally not shown interest in working with the Board.

We understand why the Coalition would want to forge ahead on its own. It has invested probably hundreds of thousands of dollars (from hard-to-raise foundation grants) in its decade-long community organizing campaign to develop a community-focused blueprint for the Armory, not to mention the sweat equity of organizing meetings, rallies, and visioning sessions. It’s only because of the Coalition that the city ever considered putting two schools behind the facility.

But shutting the door on CB7 is counter-productive. The Board has already met with Related and is scheduled to look at initial drawings next week. And Related, a seasoned player in city development politics, will exploit any split to get the best deal for itself, which won’t be the best deal for the community. (Just see the kind of weak “community benefits” agreement Related negotiated at the Gateway Center project in the south Bronx.)

So, we see two possible paths ahead:

One is that the Coalition and the Community Board agree to tag-team. The Coalition and KARA can push hard for its priorities with Related and strike the best deal they can. Then Community Board 7 can further shape and improve Related’s proposal when the land use review known as ULURP kicks in. CB7 will be the first stop for ULURP before it heads to the City Council. Their approval is not required but it won’t look good for Related if CB7 opposes the plan. In other words, this is a critical role in and of itself.

The other possibility is that CB7 and the Coalition agree on priorities and present a united front. The only sticking point may be around a potential supermarket at the armory. Faulkner and others on the Board want one. KARA opposes a new supermarket because the retail workers union, which fears a large armory market won’t be unionized, is a member of KARA, as is the owner of the Associated Supermarket across the street. But CB7 and KARA seem to agree on everything else like the need for good jobs with good pay and community space.

Related would like to work only with the Community Board because they know how to do that and because they aren’t required to consult with community organizations.

The Coalition can cut off Related’s path of least resistance and have the best chance at the best deal, by involving the Board in their efforts or just by coordinating efforts with them.

The Coalition and the Community Board are different. One is a grassroots organization and the latter is a government entity appointed by elected officials. So obviously their approaches will be different.

But their members all live in and care about the same community, they both have legitimate roles to play, and, most importantly, they seem to share most priorities.

So, for the good of all, we hope they stop jockeying for control and start playing on the same team.