Bronx Armory to Mall plan approved, City Council to vote. (Thompson: lease, construction jobs)

[DesiArnaz1986]

Armory bronx - Google News

Well, the plan to convert the Armory in the Bronx to a mall has passed (for now) it seems, despite the objections of Bronx Boro President Ruben Diaz Jr.. The vote was 4 to 8. I know that Bronx, Brooklyn and Manhattan Boro presidents voted against the plan. Staten Island and Queens boro presidents supported it. Bloomber also supported it, and Thompson is using it as a political rallying cry against the current mayor. I have to look up exactly who voted om the city's PLanning Commission.

So, what was the sticking point? The living wage issue. Bronx Pres. Ruben Diaz, Jr. insisted that practically gicing away the building at less then 25% of value, along with massive subsidies and tax breaks and exemptions, in return they wanted the workers to be paid a living wage. Proponents point out that only good paying jobs will revitalize the local economy, and the higher wage and benefits would make the workers independant from city and state subsidies like, Medicaid, Family Health Plus, Public Assistance and Food Stamps, despite being employed.

While the developers did concede to do the construction with unionized labor, that was about it. No living wage, minimum hours, no requirement to give first preference to those living in that neighborhood, no adjusted rules that will make it easier to unionize those emlpoyees should they choose.

Concern also remains about what proposed big box stores will do to local family businesses, and a supermarket that has been there since 1959. Whether or not the mall will put in a supermarket is still in the ongoing debate.


*** What most people doen't know is that the vote actually isn't FINAL. It must be approved by the City Council.

KARA - Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance is covering the pro living wage view. Im not aware if there is a competing site with another viewpoint.

Will this issue afffect your votes for Mayor, for City Council? Or even other officials? (Congressman Serrano of teh Bronx is also on the living wage side, out in protest) Do you believe other boro presidents should have such power over such local issues that likely wont impact their boro significatly?

Will you be calling your city councilman/woman about this isue (no matter what your view point) Or is it just "Much ado about nothing?"

What are the chances that the new worker are not paid a "living wage" will end up straining local and state resources at a time when unemployed are already straining (Example: Note number of Wal-Mart employees currently eligible for Medicaid nationwide). Would the living wage proposal, save the city money, would we be better of employing city workers to turn the armory into a cultural and recreational area, or 4 schools as requested by the overcrowded local school district?

Or would this squander an opportunity to bring employment at a time of crisis. Or do these big box store really want in anyways, but are just playing "hard-ball"? If under paid, will these workers even be able to afford to shop at the armory where they would work?


Personally I think the living wage is essential, and sometimes the city has to play hard-ball. Example, I think keeping Wal-Mart away has actually helped our economy, and allow it to remain diversified.

What do yall think? Let it roll...

[SobroGuy]

Desi I am a big proponent of the redevelopment of the Kingsbridge Armory. It is currently an abandoned site, and an eyesore that is really a beautiful historic building. If Bloomberg did not have the muscle to push this development through, it would lie unutilized and vacant for many more decades. Would that be a good use for the community?

The sticking point for the Bronx Borough President is very dumb and NOT the reason he should be stalling this project. Why do I think this? Well if you stand back and look at the project in its entirety, the Borough President is willing to kill the redevelopment of the site, and leave it abandoned for who knows how many decades, just because the company does not want to pay a "living wage." This living wage is an arbitrary number that he has decided is a "good" wage, based on what? NOBODY KNOWS.

The Bronx Borough president is merely playing the usual blame game that has held the Bronx economically and socially stagnant for the better part of 40 years. Instead of instilling the value of education in the neighborhood and borough, and educating the population with high paying skills, he blames companies that move in for not paying Juan and Jerome $25 per hour to be a janitor or security guard. The reason why these residents get paid peanuts is because they have NO SKILLS, NO EDUCATION, and can only do the most menial tasks..so why exactly should they get paid whatever it is Ruben Ramos says is a "living wage?"

If you want a high wage, or higher wage, the answer is to GO TO SCHOOL, or learn a high paying skill, so that you acquire the skills to EARN a higher wage, not to BLAME companies for not GIVING you what you feel you deserve. If you had a highly skilled and educated population, you would have business and companies WANTING to move to the area to hire the workforce and pay them well, but instead the few companies that have an interest in opening in the Bronx are met with "this is your fault, pay us XXX, we blame you for our poverty and low wages."

This only serves to scare away businesses, leaving communities with NO jobs and NO options, and the cycle of poverty continues. So while Ruben Ramos is pandering to voters playing the Bronx blame game, the community will get stuck with an abandoned site for a few more decades. The real culprit is the Bronx Borough president Ruben Ramos...let's assign blame where it belongs.

[Cyclops99]

I agree mostly with Sobroguy. I don't know anything about the amory but from what I read it seemed that development of the armory would have created 1000 union construction jobs in addition to 1200 retail...and the council voted it down! Sure the City Council makes laws but do they think they control the laws of economics. Why would a tenant of the lease pay employees $11.50 to be a cashier when you can open up a store somewhere else and pay $7.25.
Although I can see the angers against developers as they seem to reap enormous tax benefits and then reap more benefits from their profit margins.

[K.O.N.Y]

I hope they leave it alone till they find something better to place there, than a shopping mall. I mean come on

[NooYowkur81]

If they are not going to do anything with it, why don't they kill two birds with one stone and break it up into smaller lots to entice small businesses. This would help the local economy and provide jobs, it would also avoid having some big empty abandoned building impeding the further progress of the area.

[Cyclops99]

that would be nice but who's gonna pay for it. Right now the citys probably paying to maintain the place. Here we got a developer willing to pay $5 million for it to turn it into a mall which will hire thousands of people...and give the city tax revenue.

[SobroGuy]

Just a heads up, the deal has died a painful and sad death.

[NooYowkur81]

Originally Posted by K.O.N.Y

I hope they leave it alone till they find something better to place there, than a shopping mall. I mean come on

I wasn't too thrilled about a mall either but having it there just there abandoned is horrible...

[NooYowkur81]

Originally Posted by SobroGuy

Just a heads up, the deal has died a painful and sad death.

So what do you think happens now SoBro?

[SobroGuy]

Exactly, so I am eager to hear about the plan B. I really hope all of this wasn't justf or nothing, and they did in fact have something else on the horizon. Otherwise this is a HUGE embarassment for the borough and Ruben Diaz. Having this site sit abandoned for another decade would be the ultimate black eye and will make Ruben Diaz look like a self-absorbed, powerhungry, immature brat who is incapable of negotiating a deal.