It seemed like the big freeze between the mayor and Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. as it relates to the Kingsbridge Armory, was thawing just a tad.

At a press conference on April 26 in Kingsbridge, the Norwood News asked Mayor Bloomberg if his administration was willing to consider new plans for the Kingsbridge Armory, since Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. will release a report in June drafted by the NYU Wagner School of Public Policy with recommendations for redeveloping the vacant landmark.

“We’re open to every good idea,” the mayor said, exhibiting none of the bitterness some have attributed to him for having his preferred plan for the facility — a mall developed by The Related Companies — killed by Diaz and many of the very same people that were at the press conference to cheer him on for the Bloomberg administration’s efforts to get a portfolio of 10 nightmare apartment buildings into the hands of a new, accountable owner.

And just this week on Gary Axelbank’s BronxTalk show, Diaz said he was pleased with the mayor’s comments, which were reported on the Bronx News Network website (www.bronxnewsnetwork.org).

But the day after the event we received this unsolicited statement from the city’s Economic Development Corporation (EDC), appearing to walk back the mayor’s sunny comments at the press conference. “We’re interested in hearing feasible proposals that don’t cost the City more money than we can spend and that have private sector investment that isn’t completely backstopped by City dollars,” the statement read.

Asked to respond, John DeSio, the Diaz spokesman said this in a statement: “Shortly, the task force will issue its final report, which will identify appropriate usage for this site as well as funding streams that can make those proposals a reality. Borough President Diaz feels that the report of the task force must be used to develop a new RFP [request for proposals] for the Kingsbridge Armory.”
Whether the mayor is “open” to that idea remains to be seen.