[NYguy]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...googlenews_wsj

Differing Visions for Armory

By GABBY WARSHAWER
November 29, 2012

Residents and elected officials in the Kingsbridge section of the Bronx have spent nearly two decades trying to redevelop the neighborhood's imposing armory on West 195th Street, but various plans for reusing the long-vacant structure have failed to come to fruition. The landmark armory, which was built in the 1910s and occupies nearly a full city block at the southern tip of the neighborhood, is seen as having the potential to provide a significant economic boost to the area. But the most recent plan for its redevelopment—a shopping mall backed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg—was voted down by the City Council in 2010. The city's Economic Development Corp. now is weighing new proposals. A spokesman for the corporation said it hopes to pick a winning plan by the end of the year.

The two most prominent plans have sparked differences between local politicians and an influential community group, setting the stage for another battle over the property after a proposal is chosen. One proposal for the armory calls for creating the Kingsbridge National Ice Center, billed as the biggest facility for ice sports in the world. It has received endorsements from local politicians that include Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. But one influential community group says the developers behind a competing plan called Mercado Mirabo, a multiuse facility in the vein of Chelsea Market, have been more receptive to neighborhood concerns.