The Kingsbridge Armory was built in 1912 and is the largest in the United States. It has sat abandoned since the 1990s. Previous attempts to turn the structure into a shopping mall in 2008 and an ice rink in 2013 had failed. In 2025, however, the project finally got off the ground. A major reconstruction plan was announced, and a contractor was selected to carry it out. But a scandal erupted, involving not only the competition’s organizers but also high-ranking government officials. The details are coming up on bronx-yes.com.
A Second Chance for the Former Armory
The city has chosen a new developer to transform the empty old building into a hub of life and a center for community development. The winner of the competition was 8th Regiment Partners LLC. The announcement was made on December 3, 2024, by Mayor Eric Adams, Governor Kathy Hochul, Congressman Adriano Espaillat, and NYCEDC President Andrew Kimball.
The main guideline for choosing the developer was the “Together for Kingsbridge Vision Plan,” which was created with the active participation of over 4,000 residents. The plan was prepared meticulously over nearly three years. More than 20 large meetings were held, and a list of 900 questions was compiled, the answers to which were subject to deep analysis. As City Council member Pierina Sanchez said:
“As this project moves into its next phase, I remain committed to the guiding principles outlined in the ‘Together for Kingsbridge Vision Plan’: prioritizing our youth, lifting up our seniors, fostering intergenerational connections, creating jobs and wealth for local workers, fostering a Bronx-focused restorative economy, and maximizing community involvement.”
The development plan includes creating sports fields, an event space, a workforce development center, and community and commercial spaces in the first phase, and 450 units of affordable housing in the second. The project is funded with $215 million from local, state, and federal sources. Many residents received the news with hope, although some expressed concerns about safety and protecting the rights of local workers in an area with about 85,000 people.
Lawsuit and Doubts About the Chosen Developer’s Legitimacy
But a major scandal erupted almost immediately after the competition results were announced. A lawsuit was filed in court, accusing city officials of political corruption and bias in the selection of a developer for the Kingsbridge Armory’s renovation.
Agallas Equities LLC filed a complaint with the New York State Supreme Court, alleging that the project contract was illegally awarded to 8th Regiment Partners LLC due to favoritism from the New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC) and Bronx officials.
Representatives of Agallas Equities LLC claim that its own proposal for the renovation was unfairly ignored and that the competition was compromised. The EDC allegedly allowed 8th Regiment Partners LLC to change its project after the official deadline, which other participants, including Agallas Equities LLC, were not allowed to do. Agallas Equities LLC is demanding the annulment of the competition results, a stop-work order, and a new developer selection process.
In response to a request, 8th Regiment Partners LLC did not comment on the lawsuit itself but emphasized that their proposal reflects the community’s priorities and that they are ready to work with Bronx residents to implement the project.
Claims Against the Bronx Borough President’s Deputy
The lawsuit names Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, her deputy Janet Peguero, and other officials. Manny Tavares, representing Agallas Equities LLC, specifically singled out Janet Peguero, insisting that there was a clear conflict of interest. Peguero had previously worked as a lobbyist for Maddd Equities, which is part of 8th Regiment Partners LLC, and served on the EDC’s board of directors. During the competition, her former firm, Constantinople and Vallone Consulting, continued to lobby for Maddd Equities.
Tavares called Peguero’s involvement in the process a “blatant conflict of interest” and said he would hand over all materials to law enforcement. The plaintiff’s attorney, Christopher Carrion, added that the case should show that neither developers nor officials are above the law.
In response, Vanessa Gibson flatly rejected all the accusations, stating that her office was only mentioned to attract attention. She stressed that the renovation project is of immense importance to the Bronx:
“To try to impede the development of such an important social and community program for selfish business and political reasons is simply shameful.”
Contradictory Calculations
Manny Tavares claims that his company, Agallas Equities LLC, fully met the requirements of the “Together for Kingsbridge Vision Plan” and that their application was an ideal fit for the community’s needs. According to him, Agallas Equities LLC should have won the competition, but the victory was unexpectedly given to 8th Regiment Partners with almost no explanation.
An EDC spokesperson stated that after evaluating all the proposals, the company that best met the community’s vision and the tender’s conditions was chosen. But it was later revealed that financial issues also played a role. According to an email from EDC President Andrew Kimball, Agallas Equities LLC failed to meet the financial requirements, specifically by not paying the necessary fees and deposits.
Manny Tavares denies this, stressing that his company had powerful financial partners and that the EDC used the financial issue as a pretext to reject their application. He believes the EDC’s decision was unreasonable, as the priority should have been the ideas and adherence to the Vision Plan, not just financial capability. Regardless of what really happened, the court will have to sort it out. But as they say, the devil is in the details. Therefore, when it comes to such large-scale projects, financial aspects must be handled with the utmost care.
It’s interesting to note that Agallas Equities LLC also claims that its project would have brought greater benefits to the Bronx: instead of the promised $2.6 billion and 360 permanent jobs in the 8th Regiment Partners’ plan, their option would have generated $3.3 billion in economic impact and created 1,400 permanent jobs.
Concept Plagiarism
The most offensive part for Agallas Equities LLC was the clear plagiarism of certain elements of their presentation by their competitors. Manny Tavares states that his company proposed unique ideas, including the creation of a permanent home for the International Salsa Museum and the installation of a retractable sports field that could be converted into a concert venue. These exact same features are in 8th Regiment Partners’ plan. The head of Agallas Equities LLC is certain that the EDC gave their competitors access to confidential information, as all project details were kept private from the public.
A representative for 8th Regiment Partners responded by noting that some repetition of ideas is inevitable, as all participants were working from the same Vision Plan. However, Tavares insists that 8th Regiment Partners not only borrowed his ideas but also poached the architects and designers who worked on the Agallas Equities LLC proposal. The complaint alleges that one of the leaders of Maddd Equities, Jorge Madruga, supposedly admitted in a conversation with Tavares that at the time the winner was announced, 8th Regiment Partners didn’t even have a clear plan.
Tavares claims that the final version of the 8th Regiment Partners project is almost identical to their own proposal, right down to details like the location of the windows and solar panels. In its lawsuit, Agallas Equities LLC is demanding that the contract be annulled and that evidence of the alleged wrongdoing be turned over to law enforcement.
And so, once again, the large-scale renovation of the Kingsbridge armory is on hold pending the legal proceedings.