Bedford Union Armory

It is a brick and stone castle-like structure built in 1903 and opened in 1908 and was used by the U.S. Army for training, equipment storage and even as a horse stable.

The Armory was proposed for redevelopment in 2015 as a 500,000-square-foot mixed-use development in a joint venture between the state EDC and several companies.

[3] The new plan passed six months later and kept attracted protesters with Jonathan Westin of Communities for Change saying "The entire process was fixed from the beginning so the Mayor could push through a deal to one of his favored developers....

[6] On February 26, 2021, Mayor Bill de Blasio, New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, City Council Majority Leader Laurie A. Cumbo, and BFC Partners announced the renaming of the Bedford Union Armory in Crown Heights for Major Robert Odell Owens (1936–2013) who represented Crown Heights in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1983 to 2007.

The facility includes an indoor swimming pool, 3 hardwood basketball courts, an indoor soccer field, dance and performance studios, a fitness center and areas for boxing and archery, as well as 45,000 square feet (4,200 m2) for local community-based nonprofits.