Designs for this long-vacant Bronx armory were just approved—take a gander at the upgrades

After three decades of dashed dreams and dormant space, the Kingsbridge Armory is finally getting its comeback moment. The city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission just gave a green light to a sweeping redesign that reimagines the 570,000-square-foot fortress as a bustling new cultural and community hub—one part event venue, one part local launchpad, and all Bronx.

Dubbed El Centro Kingsbridge, the $500 million project will revive the 1917 behemoth with a mix of preservation and reinvention. Think: restored copper-roofed turrets and archways paired with solar panels, skylights and sleek new glass doors. The cavernous drill hall will transform into a light-filled public concourse complete with food vendors, programming space and entrances at all four corners.

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Upstairs, a newly inserted floor will house an entertainment venue, cultural spaces and community rooms, while the level below it will be outfitted for light manufacturing incubators and offices—aka, a playground for local entrepreneurs. And down on the basement level: parking and event loading zones (because even reinvention needs a back-of-house).

Outside, a new Kingsbridge Plaza will fill a critical green space gap in the neighborhood, complete with shaded market stalls, movable furniture and stormwater gardens. Along Reservoir Avenue, a landscaped “allee” will provide seating and improve circulation. The vision even includes preserving a grove of mature trees because not everything has to be new to be fresh.

The residential component, a 16-story building planned for the north side of the site, will deliver 500 affordable apartments across four income tiers. Designed to play nice with the historic armory, the tower includes a central cut-through offering direct access to the armory from West 195th Street.

El Centro Kingsbridge is helmed by 8th Regiment Partners (a collab between Maddd Equities and Joy Construction), with design by FXCollaborative, Aufgang and SCAPE. The proposal will next be reviewed by City Planning and City Council, with a final vote expected in November. If all goes to plan, construction is expected to begin in 2027 and be completed by 2032. Hey, for a building that’s waited 30 years, what’s seven more?