Kingsbridge Armory

Testimony last updated March 5, 2009

Testimony to IDA Board on Kingsbridge Armory

Joan Byron
Director, Sustainability and Environmental Justice Initiative
March 5, 2009

The Pratt Center joins the Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance in asking the IDA board not to vote for the package of tax deferrals and subsidies being requested by the Related Companies until Related enters into a binding agreement committing that the project will create the benefits to the community and to the city’s economy that justify the public investment this project is demanding. You are being asked to vote on $13 million in tax breaks, but there is much more on the line here.

Kingsbridge Armory is an irreplaceable asset; it sits in one of our city’s densest and most vibrant neighborhoods; a neighborhood in need of space for retail, but also in need of space for recreation, for vital community services, and above all for schools. The Armory sat vacant for years, and would have fallen into ruin, had the north west Bronx community not mobilized to force the city to make the essential repairs needed to stabilize its historic shell. To date, over $30 million of our tax dollars have been spent – and well-spent, to preserve the Armory by restoring its historic roof and exterior. Now this project will turn it over to the Related Companies for $5 million – less than it might pay for a comparably-sized vacant lot.

KARA is demanding clarity and accountability on the number and quality of jobs the project will create, how local residents will have access to those jobs, what kinds of space the developer will provide for desired recreation and community uses, and at what cost. These are the benefits that justify both the investment of public dollars, and the disposition of the irreplaceable asset that is the Kingsbridge Armory. When EDC prepared to select a developer for this project, it engaged in a dialogue with KARA as it drafted its RFP, and assured the community that it would consider those criteria in choosing a developer.

But now that Related has been selected, the criteria that matter the most to the northwest Bronx community are essentially being left entirely to the developer’s whim. Related is refusing to meet with KARA to negotiate a binding agreement on living wage jobs, community space, and other issues that are the essence of the benefits this project is intended to create.

This project represents an opportunity for New York City to prove that it is serious about making economic projects actually deliver the benefits they promise to their host communities. Why should taxpayers subsidize space for retailers who offer low-wage jobs without benefits; for low-road employers who will undercut local retailers? Why should we turn over a priceless asset like the Kingsbridge Armory with no assurance that it will provide space for the services the community needs the most?

Too often, the IDA has agreed to subsidize projects where the developer unilaterally dictates the terms. You have the opportunity here to ensure that the community has a seat at the table, and can negotiate agreements that are meaningful and binding on the issues that matter the most.

We ask you not to vote on tax breaks for Related until it agrees to negotiate with KARA.

NOTE: This testimony was prepared by the Pratt Center for Community Development. It does not necessarily reflect the official position of Pratt Institute.