By Don Bluestone

Now that the dust has settled and everyone is celebrating the wonderful victory over the evil developer who was about to be given such a wonderful resource that we had such great use of — The Kingsbridge Armory — I find myself asking, “What has been lost and what has been gained?”

We lost the renovation and rebirth of a gigantic, historic eyesore.

Yes, it was a monument that we could march in if the roof was not in danger of falling in. But we lost a building that has been off limits to the entire community for decades. We lost what could have been a wonderful shopping center filled with all types of stores including larger food and clothing stores that now everyone goes elsewhere for — Cross County, Co-Op City, downtown, etc. We lost the opportunity to have a youth center located in the Armory. My Center had been negotiating with the developer, the Related Companies, to build a 22,000-square-foot Boys & Girls Club in the space at no cost to the community.

Hundreds of part-time and full-time jobs in an economically depressed area have been lost. Yes, most would not be starting at $10, $11 and $12 an hour but neither do most other jobs in the neighborhood, or in Westchester, Co-op City or the Yankee Stadium area.  I think residents should choose whether they want the jobs or not, and the fact that many community residents would have been able to walk to work would have been a great financial savings. Finally, the amount of taxes generated both by the businesses and sales would have helped our city’s economy and, in the long run, all of us who live here.

What has been gained? I think what we gained is that we saw that we have a borough president who is not afraid to stand up for what he thinks is right. That is a good thing.  The next time, I hope he listens to all the voices, not just the ones who make the most noise.

Let’s hope people with good intentions don’t just sit back thinking they have won a great victory and that they move quickly so we don’t sit for another 20 years with a giant, empty, unused building on Kingsbridge Road.

Don Bluestone is the executive director of the Mosholu Montefiore Community Center.