All images courtesy of NYCEDC, unless noted otherwise
The City Council on Thursday unanimously approved a plan to transform the Bronx’s long-vacant Kingsbridge Armory into a mixed-use community hub with roughly 500 affordable homes. Led by the city’s Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), the El Centro Kingsbridge project will convert the historic armory into a vibrant facility featuring an event venue, recreation center, sports fields, and a public plaza, with a new affordable housing building next door. The approval marks a major milestone for the long-stalled site, following two failed redevelopment attempts that collapsed amid community opposition.
Designed by architect Lewis Pilcher in 1917, the Kingsbridge Armory contains more than 570,000 square feet of floor space, making it one of the world’s largest armories. The U.S. military used the property until 1994, and the city took ownership of the building in 1996, as 6sqft previously reported.
The city designated the armory a historic landmark in 1974, and it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
NYC twice issued requests for proposals (RFPs) to redevelop the armory, including one that called for the world’s biggest ice-skating facility. Those efforts fell through in 2016 when the developers missed key financing deadlines, according to BronxTimes.
In September 2024, Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul issued a new RFP to transform the underutilized site into a project aimed at creating economic opportunities in the Bronx.
In January, the city selected 8th Regiment Partners LLC to lead the Kingsbridge Armory redevelopment, with architecture firms Scape, Aufgang, and FXCollaborative tapped to design the project. The project entered the uniform land use review procedure (ULURP) in May and has received support from Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson and Bronx Community Board 7.
In June, the 8th Regiment Partners LLC announced a deal with community organizing group Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition that permits the nonprofit to own 20 percent of the development, as The City reported.
Now, the iconic but long-underutilized structure will be transformed into an accessible community hub, adding much-needed housing, commercial and industrial uses, and a range of modern amenities for the wider Bronx community. The project is expected to generate an estimated $2.6 billion in economic impact and create 3,000 construction jobs and 600 permanent jobs, according to the Bronx Times.
Developed by 8th Regiment Partners—a joint venture between real estate firm Maddd Equities and Joy Construction—the project will unfold in two phases, beginning in 2026 with the creation of a state-of-the-art events venue featuring entertainment and arcade space, a cultural center, community facilities, commercial offices, light manufacturing incubators, and dedicated areas for loading and parking.
The developers plan to add a new floor above the existing drill hall, effectively dividing the structure into multiple levels. The upper level would house the events venue and community spaces, while the level below would contain cultural, commercial, and recreational areas. Parking and light manufacturing facilities would occupy the lowest level, as 6sqft previously reported.
The former drill hall will be transformed into a public concourse featuring food and drink vendors, cultural and entertainment programming, and a range of community amenities. New entryways at all four corners will provide access to the space, designed to accommodate high volumes of foot traffic while preserving the armory’s historical facade.
The second phase will add a 16-story residential building designed by Aufgang at the north end of the armory, preserving sightlines to the historic structure. The project will deliver roughly 500 affordable homes and feature a central opening that allows visitors to enter the armory directly from 195th Street rather than walking around it.
As 6sqft previously reported, the developer is looking to build 500 affordable rentals set at area median income levels of 30, 50, 70, and 80 percent. The building is expected to be completed in 2032.
The building’s massing and street wall are broken up to better integrate with the surrounding streetscape and complement rather than compete with the armory’s presence. The central entryway features detailing that reflects the armory’s distinctive architectural character.
(Top) Rendering of Kingsbridge Plaza; (Bottom) Rendering of Kingsbridge Allee. Credit: Scape Landscape Architecture DPC
El Centro Kingsbridge also introduces a reimagined landscape design centered on the new Kingsbridge Plaza, created to help fill the area’s shortage of outdoor gathering spaces. The plaza will include a shaded area for pop-up markets and vendors, along with new fixed and movable seating, tables, and stormwater gardens to enhance accessibility and sustainability.
The project is backed by $200 million from Mayor Eric Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul, $3 million from Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, $12 million from Council Member Pierina Sanchez, and a $1.05 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
“Today marks a historic moment in the process of redeveloping the Kingsbridge Armory,” Jorge Madruga, principal at 8th Regiment Partners, said. “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.”
While the project has received broad support, it has also faced controversy over the RFP process. Agallas Equities LLC, one of the losing bidders, filed a lawsuit against the city, NYCEDC, and several Bronx elected officials, alleging favoritism and conflicts of interest in the contract award process, as reported by the Bronx Times.
Residents have also voiced concerns about potential displacement, traffic congestion, noise, and pollution, as well as safety risks if the light manufacturing space becomes a semiconductor plant—a possibility Mayor Eric Adams has publicly mentioned.
Earlier this month, residents and elected officials pressed 8th Regiment Partners for more details on how the project will protect the surrounding community from displacement. To avoid a repeat of the 2018 Jerome Avenue rezoning—where not all city commitments were fulfilled—officials urged that at least half of the new apartments be two- and three-bedroom units to accommodate families. The developer agreed to the proposal “in principle.”
“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,” NYCEDC President and CEO Andrew Kimball said.
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