Crown Heights Armory Could Become Hotel, Rec Center

UPDATE: A representative for the EDC has reached out to clarify that the meeting was held to garner community feedback on the use of the armory. No proposals from the RFP have been availed to the public to date.

The Economic Development Corporation has unveiled several proposals pitched through an RFP for the adaptive reuse of the Bedford-Union Armory in Crown Heights. Developers and designers The meeting was held to get community feedback for the use of the 138,000-square-foot building, which could potentially become a hotel, housing, a performing arts space with ticketed events, office space, or a retail space for a pharmacy or grocery, DNAinfo reports. While no proposals has been chosen yet have been unveiled yet, the community made sure to express at a forum on Sunday that they definitely do not want to usher a hotel into the changing neighborhood. The community was keen on the idea of using the building on Bedford between President and Union streets for mixed-income housing, a fitness center, and space for job training and workforce development.

One requirement for the chosen use is that it is financially viable in the long term, which means choosing a design that includes uses that are self-sustaining (like ticketed events). The project did get a teeny-tiny boost when former borough president Marty Markowitz pledged $1 million in capital funding for its redevelopment. Whatever the building becomes, it will not take root for a while, and it's going to cost a lot of money.
· Developers Envision Hotel, Housing, and Retail at Crown Heights Armory [DNAinfo]
· All Bedford-Union Armory coverage [Curbed]