Bronx News Roundup: Armory Edition
Welcome to the latest edition of the Bronx News Roundup. These are the Bronx news stories we're following today. Let's wade through some of the latest Kingsbridge Armory coverage:
Welcome to the latest edition of the Bronx News Roundup. These are the Bronx news stories we're following today. Let's wade through some of the latest Kingsbridge Armory coverage:
Last week after a hearing downtown, Councilman Fernando Cabrera, whose district includes the Kingsbridge Armory, said he believes a developer will be chosen to re-invigorate the hulking empty castle. He just doesn’t know when.
Before Mayor Michael Bloomberg gave his final State of the City speech at the shiny new Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, some hypothesized that he would take the opportunity to make an announcement about the Kingsbridge Armory. Specifically, that the city had chosen a developer to re-invigorate the long-vacant space.
Community Board 7 voted unanimously last week to approve a draft of a community benefits package that will be used to negotiate an agreement with the development group that wins the bid to redevelop the Kingsbridge Armory. After drafting the package, the board will hand over negotiations the Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance, a group pushing for responsible development of the iconic Bronx landmark.
As the city draws close to a decision on which developer will take over the Kingsbridge Armory, two community groups with a history of animosity and sharply divergent tactics have formed a partnership to become the united voice of the community and negotiate a benefits agreement with the winning bidder.
Brian Boggan stood nervously in the press box outlined with tape on the side of the St. Nicholas of Tolentine School gym in University Heights. Boggan had come to a rally, organized by the grassroots Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition, with an opinion about plans for the long vacant Kingsbridge Armory. As a physical education teacher with a long history of ice skating, Boggan was ready to defend the Kingsbridge National Ice Centers’s bid to fill the empty armory with nine ice rinks.
Whether it becomes a regional ice sport center or an innovative town hall-style marketplace, the coming redevelopment of the Kingsbridge Armory will be a positive addition to the Bronx landscape.
The Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition, a grassroots group that is the beating heart of the Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance (KARA), recently hosted a candlelit vigil and press conference, hoping to ensure a positive outcome for the major changes about to take place in their neighborhood.
Last Thursday, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and a handful of local officials came out in strong support of a proposal to turn the Kingsbridge Armory into a world-class ice sports center. The video above shows snippets from the new conference, which also featured the project's two most prominent supporters -- former NY Rangers star Mark Messier and gold medal winning figure skater Sarah Hughes. Lehman College President Ricardo Fernandez also attended to show his support.