Today’s Real Deal brings our attention to the subject of uptown armories. Harlem’s 369th Armory has recently been renovated to update the world class tennis courts. In addition to the tennis center, the facility also houses a PAL after-school program for local youth. The Harlem armory might be considered a success story in terms of converting the space into a usable community center through HUD funding and grants.
The Washington Heights Armory located on 168th Street was also successfully converted into a world class sports facility.
In 1997, the city turned the building into a world-class track and field center with a six-lane, 200-meter track with an Olympic-quality surface. Once a dingy homeless shelter, the site now plays host to some of the biggest athletic events in the United States.
Other armories around the city are not so lucky. The Kingsbridge Armory up in the Bronx, has been considered for everything from a school to commercial development. The latest plan calls for a mixed use property that includes:
…a public school for 2,000 students; a 57,200-square-foot YMCA; between 13,000 and 25,000 square feet of community space; and a retail portion with a department store, a movie theater and a parking garage.
The redevelopment of the Kingsbridge Armory will represent the first foray into a retail format for these historic structures, although some armories have been transformed for a range of uses. An armory in White Plains was converted to residential apartments in the early 1980s, and some armories have been used as part-time movie studios. The Kingsbridge Armory recently did temporary cinematic duty as the backdrop for the zombie thriller “I Am Legend,” starring Will Smith.
To read the whole article visit The Real Deal.
Posted on April 26, 2007 by D. Bell