An Armory for the Community

Revitalizing the Bedford-Union Armory will restore this long-vacant building to its rightful role as a community resource for all Crown Heights families.

Recreation

A new state-of-the-art rec center will include hardwood basketball courts, a competitive-length swimming pool and a large multi-sport court that will accommodate everything from indoor soccer to tennis to volleyball. Armory partners will offer high-quality, free and low-cost athletic and fitness programming, including clinics, camps and afterschool programs. The new rec center will also provide much-needed space for local public schools and youth sports leagues that have struggled for years with inadequate athletic facilities.

Community

A new, flexible community event space will seat hundreds and host anything from local community board committee meetings to music and poetry performances, as well as annual concerts and performances by local schools and arts organizations. The Bedford-Union Armory to once again provide a real community hub for social gatherings that help strengthen the Crown Heights community.

Non-Profits

The new Armory will include much-needed affordable office space for non-profit organizations that serve tens of thousands of New Yorkers in Central Brooklyn and throughout the city. Services provided by these non-profits include tutoring and educational coaching, science and technology classes for undeserved youth, LGBT support services, Caribbean arts and culture programming, anti-violence counseling and other resources.

Housing

The new Armory will feature 415 units of quality mixed-income housing, nearly two-thirds of which – 250 units – will be affordable to low-income individuals and families. All 250 units of affordable housing will serve New Yorkers below 60 percent of the area median income (AMI), and will include units for households with annual incomes as low as approximately $20,000 for an individual and $28,000 for a family of four. It will also include homes set aside for formerly homeless New Yorkers.

Armory partners will be hosting a series of workshops to help residents prepare for these new affordable housing opportunities. Workshops will explain how to apply for an affordable apartment and what you can do to begin preparing.