New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) President and CEO Andrew Kimball, 8th Regiment Partners, and the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition (NWBCCC) today celebrated the New York City Council’s approval of an ambitious plan to transform the Kingsbridge Armory in the Bronx into a thriving, community-centered hub. The proposal — which was unveiled by Mayor Adams, Governor Hochul, and U.S. Representative Adriano Espaillat earlier this year and shaped by the “Together for Kingsbridge Vision Plan” — includes two phases. The first phase will create a state-of-the-art venue space for entertainment, recreational space, cultural and commercial space, light industrial manufacturing space, and over 25,000 square feet of dedicated community space. The second phase will create approximately 500 units of permanently-affordable rental housing adjacent to the armory. Backed by $216 million in city, state, and federal investments, the sweeping proposal is expected to add nearly $2.9 billion to the city’s economy and create about 3,600 jobs, with an emphasis on hiring from the local community.
“From training troops during the first World War to distributing food during the CoViD-19 pandemic, the Kingsbridge Armory has served our city for more than a century. With today’s vote, we begin work on the next chapter in its dynamic history and building a brighter future for the Bronx,” said Mayor Adams. “With hundreds of affordable homes and tens of thousands of square feet of commercial, community, and manufacturing space, this ambitious proposal will give the Bronx vital space to work, live, and come together. Other administrations have talked about transforming this space, but our administration got it done. Thank you to the thousands of community members who weighed in on the future of the armory and the community leaders who have supported it.”
“Today’s City Council vote marks a major step toward bringing Bronx communities together — creating hundreds of affordable homes, thousands of good-paying, local jobs, and a vibrant community space where neighbors can connect,” said Governor Hochul. “This project has been decades in the making, and now we’re finally getting it done. The Kingsbridge Armory will remain a cornerstone of the Bronx, driving economic growth and strengthening Kingsbridge Heights. Thank you to our partners in city and local government and community leaders for supporting this ambitious plan as we work together to get it over the finish line.”
“With the reimagining of the Kingsbridge Armory, we will see affordable housing opportunities, good-paying union jobs with pathways to the middle class, recreational space for youth and families, support for small businesses, and a true commitment to equitable economic development in the Bronx that we have not seen for decades,” said Bronx Borough President Gibson. “Thank you to New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, Majority Leader Amanda Farías, Councilmember Pierina Sanchez, the members of the Bronx Delegation, and the entire New York City Council for today’s vote to move this transformative plan forward. I also want to express my gratitude to Governor Kathy Hochul, Mayor Eric Adams, Congressman Adriano Espaillat, the New York City Economic Development Corporation, 8th Regiment Partners, and the Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition for their partnership and continued support in advancing this historic project. The redevelopment of this landmark in the heart of the Northwest Bronx stands as a testament to our shared commitment to driving unprecedented investment back into our borough, while fulfilling the blueprint outlined in the Together for Kingsbridge Vision Plan.”
“Today’s City Council vote is a victory for Kingsbridge Heights and for the Bronx, and all but guarantees that the city can move forward in redeveloping the historic Kingsbridge Armory into a dynamic, mixed-use hub that will finally usher in a new era for this site,” said NYCEDC President and CEO Kimball. “For the last three years, NYCEDC has been collaborating closely with elected officials, stakeholders, and the community to ensure that a redeveloped armory delivers on the needs of the community, and following today’s vote, our development partner, 8th Regiment Partners, can begin working on a construction timeline and eventual groundbreaking ceremony.”
Over the last decade, the Kingsbridge Armory has served as an emergency supply and food distribution center following Hurricane Sandy, during the CoViD-19 pandemic, and after the Twin Parks fire. In November 2022, the Adams administration, local elected officials, and community leaders kicked off a community-driven engagement process to work with the surrounding community and outline a new vision for the future of the armory. Following that process, which engaged over 4,000 community members, the Adams administration unveiled the “Together for Kingsbridge Vision Plan” in August 2023 to inform proposals for the redevelopment. In January 2025, following a competitive request for proposals process, the Adams administration announced the winning two-part proposal for the site, led by 8th Regiment Partners LLC and designed to serve both the local community and the broader region.
Image caption: By transforming the Kingsbridge Armory into a community-centered hub with commercial space, cultural space, and affordable housing, the proposal passed today will add $2.9 billion to the city’s economy and create nearly 3,600 jobs. Credit: FXCollaborative.
In June 2025, building on the winning proposal, Regiment Partners and NWBCCC announced an unprecedented collaborative agreement with the development team to join the project and help maximize community input and ownership. The agreement commits to maintaining high environmental standards and emphasizes community ownership by establishing a Community Council, co-convened by NWBCCC. This council will provide ongoing input on tenant mix, programming, and additional strategies for community investment. Additionally, a Community Benefit Fund — funded through project revenue and governed by the Community Council — will support long-term local investments in initiatives aimed at wealth-building and community ownership. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed in June between NWBCCC and 8th Regiment Partners, a joint venture of Maddd Equities and Joy Construction.
Separately, NWBCCC — alongside nearly 40 labor, faith, and community organizations — partnered with 8th Regiment Partners to execute a comprehensive Community Benefits Agreement that includes commitments to local hiring, living wages, environmental sustainability, small business protections, and affordability provisions to ensure that Kingsbridge residents and merchants are active participants in the Armory’s economic success.
The first phase of the redevelopment will consist of a mixed-use development with a state-of-the-art venue space, recreational space, cultural and commercial space, and over 25,000 square feet of dedicated community space and is centered around the 180,000-square-foot, column-free Drill Hall within the armory, expected to break ground in 2026 and be completed in 2030. The building will also include 125,000 square feet of community-owned manufacturing and community space for community use. Phase two consists of the redevelopment of the adjacent National Guard site, which will create 500 units of permanently-affordable rental housing adjacent to the armory, expected to be completed in 2032.
The Kingsbridge Armory redevelopment is backed by a $200 million investment by Mayor Adams and Governor Hochul, $3 million from Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, $12 million from New York City Councilmember Pierina Sanchez, and a $1.05 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development with the support of Representative Espaillat. The construction will be executed under a project labor agreement, ensuring fair wages and benefits for construction workers.
The Kingsbridge Armory opened in 1917 and was used by the U.S. military until 1994, before reverting to city ownership in 1996. The armory was designated as a New York City Landmark in 1974 and placed on the National Register for Historic Places list in 1982.
“Today is a day of celebration for our members and the Bronx as the Kingsbridge Armory will finally be redeveloped into a place that will be of great benefit to the community while providing local-hiring and union jobs for many New Yorkers,” said Gary LaBarbera, president, New York City and New York State Building and Construction Trades Council. “We are grateful to the city, state, and federal officials that made this project possible and are especially grateful to NYCEDC and 8th Regiment Partners who have agreed to enter into a Project Labor Agreement to ensure good-paying jobs for construction workers of the Armory building.”
“Today, we celebrate the NYC Economic Development Corporation, Councilmember Pierina Sanchez, and the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition for their efforts in bringing this proposal closer to reality,” said Karla Cabrera Carrera, district manager, and Leurys Acosta, chairperson, Bronx Community Board 7. “We commend 8th Regiment Partners LLC for engaging with the community and incorporating their ideas into the proposal. We look forward to the community benefits that will help Kingsbridge and The Bronx thrive even more.”
“Today marks a historic moment in the process of redeveloping the Kingsbridge Armory,” said Jorge Madruga, principal, 8th Regiment Partners. “The Kingsbridge Armory will become an economic engine for the Bronx, and we are proud that the City Council sees that potential, and that we are able to deliver on that promise for the community. Thank you to the City Council, Mayor Adams, Councilmember Pierina Sanchez, the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition, all of our partners, community advocates, and neighbors that have supported this project so far. We look forward to enacting our vision for the future of this landmark space.”
“Today’s vote to realize the community’s vision for the Kingsbridge Armory is a monumental achievement for our coalition, and a powerful testament to what’s possible through sustained collaborative community leadership,” said Sandra Lobo, executive director, NWBCCC. “From the kickoff of the Together for Kingsbridge visioning process to the Community Benefits Agreement secured and the community ownership structure integrated into the project, we’ve worked to ensure that every step of the Armory’s redevelopment invests in the residents, business owners, leaders, and young people who call Kingsbridge home. This project centers community priorities, leverages local assets, and ensures that Bronx workers, residents, and small businesses have access to good family-sustaining jobs, affordable space and real opportunities to build shared wealth. I am grateful to Councilmember Sanchez, the Adams and Hochul administrations, our labor partners, and our 4,000-member coalition for their partnership in bringing us to this moment. We look forward to continuing the work together to deliver a community-led, community-owned Armory project.”
