23rd Regiment Armory in Crown Heights

Department of Homeless Services operates a 350-bed men’s shelter in head house of landmarked Armory. On August 14, 2012, the City Economic Development Corporation issued a request for proposals from developers interested in leasing and reusing a 50,000-square-foot drill hall space in the 23rd Regiment Armory at the corner Bedford and Atlantic Avenues in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. The National Guard completed the Romanesque Revival-style Armory in 1895. The Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the building as an individual landmark in 1977. Since 1982 the Department of Homeless Services has used the Armory’s five-story head house as a 350-bed homeless shelter. EDC is seeking proposals to develop “neighborhood-serving uses” in the adjacent drill hall and enhance community access to the space. The selected developer would control the drill hall space through a triple net ground lease, which would require the developer to be responsible for operating expenses, insurance, repairs, and property taxes.

The Armory is located on the border of Crown Heights and Bedford Stuyvesant, and is surrounded by a mix of storage, automotive, and light-manufacturing businesses along Atlantic Avenue, and apartments and brownstones to the south. The building is within an M1-1 zoning district, which permits light manufacturing, commercial, and some community facility uses as of right. Residential uses are prohibited.

The Armory’s 50,000-square-foot drill hall features a mezzanine level with stadium seating and ceiling heights of more than 92 feet. The drill hall is currently accessible through the head house, but the redeveloped drill hall space is expected to be completely independent and inaccessible from the head house, which will continue to be occupied by the homeless shelter. According to EDC, proposals should also contemplate how to preserve the facility’s historic character, and minimize impacts on the active homeless shelter. Up to $13.65 million in funding will be available to assist the developer in completing capital improvements, such as upgrading and separating the Armory’s mechanical systems. The developer may also be eligible for other economic benefits, including those through the Rehabilitation Tax Credit Program, Industrial and Commercial Abatement Program, and Food Retail Expansion to Support Health Program.

Proposals must be submitted by Friday, October 19, 2012.

EDC: Request for Proposals – Bedford Atlantic Armory (August 14, 2012).