During the holiday season on Kingsbridge Road, colorful, festive items from local mom and pop shops spill out onto the sidewalk as passersby cheerfully make their purchases. However, many feet above the holiday crowds, the empty towers of the Kingsbridge Armory loom over the street like an eerie castle—and they will remain that way for the foreseeable future.

On Monday, the City Council voted to reject a proposal that would develop the Armory, which has been vacant for more than 15 years, into a mall.

Many area merchants celebrated the City Council’s vote. These merchants feared a mall in the Armory would bring competition from big-box stores and cause unappealing traffic congestion.

A few local business owners were upset that the Armory is not going to be turned into a mall. They said a mall would bring more customers to their stores and an extra boost in these tough economic times.

Others were indifferent.

“I don’t know how to feel,” said Steve Deats, the owner of Furniture Outlet, who said he believed most merchants, like him, were indifferent about the Armory. “They have been talking about [the Armory] for 15 years and nothing has been done. There are a lot of stores that would be hurt, although the [foot] traffic might help some.”

Johnny Ramon, an employee of Forever Young, a health store across from the Armory, had a strong opinion. “It’s great news. Small businesses usually suffer when a mega-business comes in,” he said. “I just feel that anything that threatens small business is not a good thing because small business owners are the lifeblood of the economy.”

Not all merchants were joyous or apathetic about the vote. “I feel bad. We need business here,” said George Vangelatos, the manager of New Capitol Restaurant. “If there are more people [in the area], there is more business for everyone.”

As for the future of the Armory, different merchants on Kingsbridge Road had different ideas for how to best fill the empty space. But they all agreed that something should be there. Deats said, “It is a waste of real estate if it is sitting there and doing nothing.”