The Riverdale Press
The announcement of a task force to create a plan for the Kingsbridge Armory had the Bronx in a tizzy at Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.’s State of the Borough address March 5.
The only details Mr. Diaz provided at the time was that the task force would likely be co-chaired by newly elected City Councilman Fernando Cabrera. But the Beep is close to announcing the other members of the task force and getting down to business, according to John DeSio, communications director at the BP’s office.
“We plan to announce the task force members shortly,” Mr. DeSio wrote in an e-mail message.
The Beep was instrumental in the movement to prevent a developer from turning the historic armory into a shopping mall unless the developer would promise living wages to those who would eventually work in the stores there. After the deal was squashed, critics said Mr. Diaz had reacted too impulsively and prevented much-needed jobs from coming to the Bronx, the borough with the highest unemployment rate in the city.
His task force could be the first step toward finding a viable tenant for the armory. In his speech, Mr. Diaz said he was open to many different options, including manufacturing and community space.