The goal of the Kingsbridge Armory Campaign is to redevelop the Kingsbridge Armory into a mixed-use development that will meet the community’s educational, retail, entertainment, recreational and service needs as well as provide quality living wage union jobs to local residents.

The Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance (KARA) is an alliance of community leaders from tenant and neighborhood associations, congregations, community institutions, unions, businesses and elected officials who work together to make sure the Kingsbridge Armory is developed into a community-oriented mixed-use facility with 2,000 school seats built next to the Armory building.

KARA seeks living wages and union protections for local residents in the construction and permanent jobs, community space, an affordable recreation center, and environmental protections through the negotiation of a Community Benefits Agreement, a Labor Peace Agreement and a Project Labor Agreement with the developer of the Armory.

“Our biggest victory has been that we’ve had input into the entire process of selecting a developer for the Armory. We were able to get living wage preference language into the RFP, to see the proposals, and to make recommendations to the developers based on their proposals. Our coalition has grown and we’ve been able to bring the Bronx building trades on board and just about all the Bronx city council members have signed onto KARA.  Our organizing culminated in a very successful march in October.  We had a turnout that really signaled to the developer that KARA is the voice of the community.  And the developer now knows that they to negotiate three agreements with KARA in order to get our support for the project,” said Desiree Pilgrim-Hunter.

In 2007

This year KARA continued its work representing the community on the task force set up by the New York City Economic Development Corporation. We gave critical feedback on theArmory proposals that were submitted. The city expects to select a developer sometime in the next few weeks. In anticipation of the city’s announcement, KARA held a 500-person rally October 27th 2007 at Fordham Manor Reformed Church that showed that KARA is truly the voice of the community regarding the future of the Kingsbridge Armory. Local congregations, community centers and unions were present to tell the future developer to negotiate with KARA and to tell the Department of Education to build four schools (with a total of 2,000 seats) next to the Armory.  Assemblyman Jose Rivera, Council Member Joel Rivera and Councilmember Helen D. Foster all agreed to stand by KARA and they all signed onto the KARA Unity Pledge (other elected officials, unions, and community groups have also signed onto the Unity Pledge). Despite the rain, it was an exciting, energy-filled event which culminated in a powerful and spiritually moving march around the Armory.

In 2008

KARA’s major organizing goal for 2008 is to get the Armory’s developer to negotiate three agreements with KARA: a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) and Labor Peace Agreement (LPA) and a Project Labor Agreement (PLA).  As soon as a developer is announced we will move to get them to the table, and we will need all of the members of NWBCCC to help us win our vision for the Kingsbridge Armory!

For more information contact:

Ava Farkas, ava@northwestbronx.org

(718) 584-0515 X311 and (646) 533-5454