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After community opposition defeated a Giuliani-era plan turn the Kingsbridge Armory in the West Bronx into a mall and Chelsea Piers-style sports complex, the New York City Economic Development Corporation issued a Request for Proposals for the sale and redevelopment of the landmark, taking into account extensive community input. The 575,000-square-foot building at 29 West Kingsbridge Road in the Kingsbridge Heights section of the Bronx is to be transformed into a mixed-use facility that will anchor the local community and create a unique destination to attract visitors from throughout the city and the region. The RFP envisions stores, an inviting park-like perimeter, a movie theater or cultural venue and reduced-rent space for community organizations. The RFP released September 26, 2006, specifically discourages suburban-style big-box stores and gives preference to projects that provide retail jobs paying at least $10 an hour, plus benefits. One controversial aspect of the proposed development is the number of school seats called for. The RFP says the NYC Department of Education is prepared to fund and build one primary school with 441 seats, and one primary/intermediate school with 630 seats. Construction is not expected to begin until the spring of 2009.

Three developers -- Atlantic Development Group, the Related Cos., and Rosenshein Associates - submitted their plans with the city's Economic Development Corp. in response to the City's Request For Proposals. Atlantic Development Group's plan (the only one made public) includes public schools for 2,000 students; a 57,200-square-foot YMCA; 13,000-25,000 square feet of community space, and a retail portion with a department store, a movie theater and a parking garage.

Group Works to Ensure Community Benefits Agreement for Armory is Enforceable

KARA, a coalition of interested community groups concerned about the redevelopment of the Kingsbridge Armory, want to make sure that a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) with the developer, the Related Companies, is enforceable and binding. Using the Gateway Mall CBA with Related as an example, the community is looking ahead to ensure compliance by the developer. Related has said they look forward to working with the community in developing a CBA. There should be sufficient time for negotiations, as the City’s public review process, the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP), is not set to begin till 2009.

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Bronx Community Groups Want Community Space in Kingsbridge Armory

After a recent announcement that The Related Companies will be redeveloping the Kingsbridge Armory in the Bronx to be used as a private commercial shopping area, many Bronx community groups are urging the developers to reserve some space in the currently unused building for community use. Members of the Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance hope to be able to meet with the head of Related to negotiate the inclusion of a community facility such as a YMCA or Boys and Girls Club in the redevelopment plans.

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Community Benefits Urged in Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment

The Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance (KARA) rallied in front of City Hall on Thursday demanding that developer, the Related Companies, commit to a binding community benefits agreement before construction begins at the Kingsbridge Armory. The community is pushing for a “living wage” provision to be included as well as a guarantee that construction contacts go to locals. A top priority for KARA is also the inclusion of schools. While the Economic Development Corporation (EDC) included space for schools in its bids, the city’s Department of Education has said that no new schools are needed. The redevelopment plan must now go through the city’s public review process, the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP.)

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Kingsbridge Group to Give City Hall Input

The Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance will be voicing their concerns about the redevelopment plans for the Kingsbridge Armory in the Bronx at City Hall on Thursday. The Alliance, comprised of neighborhood groups, unions, and churches, wants to make certain that new jobs will pay living wages and that existing businesses won’t be displaced. The Alliance would also like to see the original plans to build a school be realized.

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Related Will Turn Kingsbridge Into “The Shops at the Armory”

City officials officially announced that Related Companies won the bid to redevelop the Kingsbridge Armory into a retail center. Related will transform the massive former National Guard site into a shopping center, complete with a “destination-type” anchor department store, a movie theater, smaller shops and restaurants. The site will also include a day-care center, a youth recreation center, and a “business incubator.” Many hope that the new development will serve as an economic catalyst for the surrounding Bronx neighborhoods.

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Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Awarded to Related

The Related Companies has been chosen as the developer for the Kingsbridge Armory, although sources from the city’s Economic Development Corporation deny that a winner has been chosen. Members of Community Board 7 were notified last week that Related was selected as the developer to transform the Armory. Although details of the Related plan have not been released, the site will likely include a large retailer, movie theater, gym, a bank, and space for the community. Related may also include a small business incubator into the plans. Although the community pushed for school space, the School Construction Authority said that more space was not needed. Efforts to redevelop the Armory have been going on since 1996.

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Schools No Longer in Plans for Kingsbridge Armory

Students and local activists protested the Department of Education's (DOE) decision not to build two new schools in the renovated Kingsbridge Armory. The DOE announced that its updated 2005-2009 capital building plan includes enough school capacity for all the area’s students, and that schools in the Armory would be unnecessary. Critics claim that the DOE is underestimating the number of students in the area, and not taking into account overcrowding in the schools.

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Kingsbridge Armory Bids Down to Two

Rosenshein Associates recently abandoned its bid to develop the Kingsbridge Armory, leaving only the Atlantic Development Group and the Related Companies as bidders to develop the 575,000-square-foot structure, which has sat vacant for over a decade. The city is expected to announce the winning bid within the next month. The Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance, a neighborhood coalition, hopes that the winning bid will include provisions for a jobs that provide a living wage.

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Rally for Community Benefits Agreement for Kingsbridge Armory

At a rally this past weekend, community members and members of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) urged the city to create a Community Benefits Agreement when redevelopment of the Armory occurs. The city owns the Armory and is expected to choose between The Related Companies and Atlantic Development Group to develop the site. The Community Benefits Agreement, or in some cases called a Living Wage Agreement, would require a “local hiring program and a requirement that 75% of Armory tenants pay living wages.”

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Community Coalition Forms Ahead of Bronx Armory Redevelopment

Bronx residents have organized a coalition to address the redevelopment of the Kingsbridge Armory. KARA (the Kingsbridge Amory Redevelopment Alliance) has formed even before the city’s announcement of the developer who will renovate the historic building. Residents want to be involved in the redevelopment process and to ensure that it reflects the needs of the community, one that is struggling with poverty and in need of economic and community investment. Members of KARA including labor unions and religious and community groups are planning a rally to gain attention in late October.

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Armory Rebuild Stalled

The Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Task Force, assembled by the city’s Economic Development Corporation, has finished its process of collecting bids for the Armory overhaul. However, the project has hit a speed bump. A confidentiality agreement that developers signed when they submitted their bids for the project has momentarily stalled the project’s progress; due to the agreements, the city can not show the bids to the Task Force, the very group appointed to review them.

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Armory Selection Process Still Stalled

A controversial confidentiality agreement has continued to stall the selection of a winning bid for the redevelopment plans of the 575,000 square foot Kingsbridge Armory in the Bronx. Public officials, who sit on the Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Task Force, are up in arms about a decision by the city's Economic Development Corporation (EDC) to require that all details about the bid proposals must be kept silent from the public. The officials learned of the agreement prior to a March 1 meeting in which bid proposals were shared. The confidentiality requirement is unusual for public officials but common for the EDC who typically deals with the private sector where confidentiality agreements are customary. The EDC is continuing to work on a solution with the Bronx officials.

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Kingsbridge Armory Selection Process Slowed

The City's Economic Development Corporation (EDC) is requesting that all members of the Armory task force sign a confidentiality agreement that prohibits the members from speaking publicly about plans to develop the 575,000-square-foot National Guard armory in the Bronx. The agreement does not sit well with many on the task force, including a cadre of elected officials, who feel that the agreement prevents them from communicating the challenges of the project to their constituents. Three anonymous proposals will be presented to the Armory task force on March 1.

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Bids In for Kingsbridge Armory in the Bronx

Developers Atlantic Development Group, the Related Companies, and Rosenschein Associates have turned in bids for the city owned 575,000-square-foot National Guard armory in the Bronx. A task force of Bronx elected officials and community voices drafted the Request for proposal (RFP), citing favorable consideration for bids that maximize living-wage jobs for area residents. Proposals for the Armory have varied in the last 11 years when the city assumed control of the property. Community opposition met former Mayor Giuliani's initiative to construct a basketball-themed arena, instead requesting more schools. The city's Economic Development Corporation has not announced a date for a winning bid. School, community, retail, and parking space are in discussion.

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City issues RFP for Armory Re-Development

The city Economic Development Corporation issued an RFP for the redevelopment of the Kingsbridge Armory with the Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Task Force, an appointed committee of state and city elected officials, their designated community representatives and city agencies.The request addresses many of the concerns cited by community stakeholders, such as the need for schools and the impact on existing neighborhood businesses.

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