ARMORY NYC DEFEAT

Submitted by ub on

The Bronx Kingsbridge Armory is located on West Kingsbridge Road. The armory was built back in the 1910s, from a design by the firm of then-state architect Lewis Pilcher to house the National Guard's Eighth Coastal Artillery Regiment unit, which relocated from Manhattan in 1917. It is possibly the largest armory in the world.

In addition to its military function, it has been used over the years for exhibitions, boxing matches, and a film set. After World War II the city offered it to the United Nations as a temporary meeting place.

In 1974 it was designated a city landmark, and eight years later it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Its military use ended and it was turned over to city management in 1996.

Several proposals to redevelop this building have failed, including one which turned into a battle over living wage policies and finally ended in a defeat for the administration of Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

The building continues to be vacant, although one National Guard unit has continued to use an annex in the rear until a new headquarters can be found for them. What will be the final outcome for this massive structure?