On Monday night, representatives from the two development groups looking to transform the Kingsbridge Armory — Young Woo & Associates and the Kingsbridge National Ice Center — sat down with Gary Axelbank on BronxTalk to discuss their plans and how each will benefit the Bronx.
The two plans couldn’t be more different, as you’ll see if you watch this 30-minute show.
According to Jonathan Richter, the Ice Center would be a regional ice sports Mecca featuring nine Olympic-sized ice rinks, including one 4,000-5,000-seat arena, and a youth program designed to get young people involved in ice sports like hockey, figure skating, speed skating, even curling. He said they would also include 70,000-80,000 square feet of community space for nonprofit groups and other programming. Richter says the project would bring in 1,800 construction jobs, 170 permanent jobs at the Armory and 500 subsidiary jobs.
Young Woo & Associates, meanwhile, is calling it’s mixed-use project, Mercado Mirabo. Young Woo and Greg Carney described their vision for a creative market that would allow local vendors and entrepreneurs an opportunity to develop their businesses without going through the hassle of signing a lease for a storefront. They likened the market to the Dekalb Market in Brooklyn, where they took a vacant lot and turned it into a thriving local market using recycled shipping containers. There would also be a sports and recreation component, a six-screen movie theater and a couple of other retail stores.
Listen to what they have to say and let us know what you think. The city’s Economic Development Corporation is expected to make a decision and choose one of these two competing projects in the next few weeks.
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Nobody in the Bronx wants Ice Hockey! Dame el local market huevon!!!
You can learn more about Mercado Mirabo on our site http://www.mercadomirabo.com. There’s more than just a market. It’s a destination with something for everyone. Music, Dancing, Sports, Fitness, Artisan Creative Market, Food, Shopping, Community Space, Art, Entrepreneurship, Gauchos Basketball, Rock Climbing, a place to come together. Building What Matters
I feel that after years of numerous rallies, proposals, protests and hearings over how to best redevelop the historic Kingsbridge Armory the New York City’s Economic Development Corporation should not only make a selection that will create jobs and generate economic investments in the Bronx but also listen to the Kingsbridge community needs.
The Kingsbridge Ice Center proposal of nine Olympic-sized ice rinks, including one 4,000-5,000-seat arena to be used for ice sports like hockey, figure skating, and speed skating is not something that the community needs or wants.
Frankly, in my opinion, ice hockey is an expensive sport and would be out of reach and interest especially for the kids in this community.
Whereas, the other proposal submitted by Young Woo & Associates, which is a mixed-use project called, Mercado Mirabo, will have a concert venue, sports stadium, a rock climbing wall, a six-screen movie theater and a creative market that would allow local vendors and entrepreneurs an opportunity to develop their businesses. It will also have community space for various non-profit groups/organizations.
It will be similar to their Dekalb Market in Brooklyn (which I had the opportunity to visit); where they took a vacant lot and turned it into a prosperous local market using recycled shipping containers.
Not just ice skating rinks.
In conclusion, in the next couple of weeks, after all is said, done and decided, I am hopeful that we are going to have a redeveloped Kingsbridge Armory, where there’s a living wage, more options than just ice skating rinks for the community and most importantly for it to become a destination point for us all.
Impressive presentations. Simplicity and functionality vs glitz and downtown muscle. Wonder who wins this mismatch?
Surprised Gary didn’t ask about Hockey City’s burden on the local water supply since it takes 11-13,000 gallons of water per rink. And resurfacing requires 100-150 gallons of water. What about ammonia versus HFCs and HCFCs as the refrigerant of choice?
So many questions for a project on the fast-track.
I live in The Bronx and I want ice hockey!
It’s this attitude that “we don’t do that” that keeps limiting our opportunities. Nobody needs to keep you down when you start keeping yourself down!
The more options we can give our children, the better. Screw this ghetto mentality, ice hockey is not too good for us!
Ice hockey? For youth in KINGSBRIDGE? Are you serious? If this proposal is the one our elected officials support at the end, it shows how distant they are from the community they swore to represent. I continue to say that one of the biggest mistakes many of our elected officials do is that they go with what THEY think it’s best for OUR community. They hardly go with what the community wants. In this case, ice skating is not a sports minority youth enjoy. Let’s be honest here. Plus, as one of the readers stated, it is a VERY VERY EXPENSIVE SPORT. I like the Mercado Mirabo proposal. Let’s see what the elected officials want! (fingers crossed)
If you truly know the community in this area they would realize that this will only benefit people outside of the area. The people who actually reside near this Facility should actually have a say in what they will receive or at least be befitted to what the armory will end up becoming.
Nobody is saying we don’t want an ice skating rink either.. we don’t want NINE. it’s unnecessary
Here’s Haile Rivera again.
He worked for Pedro Espada, who claimed to “fight for us” while robbing us and depriving us of real opportunities.
It looks like now that Pedro’s off to the slammer, Haile wants to fill his shoes in peddling that brand of politics that would keep us from getting opportunities so we feel grateful for his handouts and his false pretenses of “fighting for us.”
Haile, you don’t represent us.
OUR community wants MORE OPPORTUNITIES for our children. We don’t need and don’t want your tired stereotypes that tell our kids that they can’t do things.
How do you make 9 indoor ice rinks LEED gold? Air conditioning?
Why is the Bronx Borough President Diaz pushing this project and forcing this icy nonsense down the throats of the residents? Just imagine the power bill in the summer. Politicians will always try to trick the public.
Has anyone been to the Concourse Village Shopping Center? That is what the Mercado Mirabo will inevitably look like in 20 years? There is so much retail on Fordham Road. Do we really need more? I reject the argument that we must maintain the status quo. The Armory Track http://www.armorytrack.com/ has been highly successful. I used to live on Kingsbridge and Creston. I have since relocated to the Yankee Stadium area. I would come back all the time to bring my family and friends to the Ice Center. However, there would be little incentive to come back to some mediocre shopping center.