Queens, NY
ACEC Engineering Excellence Award - Gold (CHA)
The historic Jamaica Queens Armory, built in 1936, has been transformed through a $129 million renovation into a modern National Guard Readiness Center designed to supporting domestic and overseas missions. The design team was charged was to modernize the facility to expand soldier capacity, integrate new technologies to meet latest operational needs, all while preserving the building’s distinctive Art Deco character.
The design goals were threefold: rehabilitate and reprogram obsolete spaces into mission-ready functions; replace the entire infrastructure with modern, efficient systems and remediate structural deficiencies; and preserve key historic elements. Outdated program areas were reimagined—stables became vehicle parking, the shooting range became secure storage, and administrative and training spaces were upgraded with new finishes, furnishings, and technologies.
A major intervention supported by new structural framing inserted a 35,650-square-foot second floor within the original Drill Hall, creating an auditorium, locker rooms, classrooms, and offices. The project also replaced all major infrastructure, including mechanical, electrical, plumbing, communications, and security systems. Working with the NYS Historic Preservation Office, the team carefully restored both exterior and interior Art Deco features, balancing preservation with functionality.
Despite challenges—including proximity to active railroad tracks, unforeseen conditions, and the COVID-19 pandemic—the team delivered a safe, modern facility. Today, the Armory serves over 600 soldiers, supporting training, readiness, and deployment. The project strengthens community resilience, enhances recruitment and retention, and demonstrates how thoughtful design and construction leadership can balance heritage, operational performance, and spatial clarity, providing a model for the modernization of historic civic facilities.
Achieving LEED Silver-equivalent performance, the project exemplifies how adaptive reuse, historic preservation, and contemporary design interventions enable the Jamaica Queens Armory to transform a nearly century-old structure into a resilient and inspiring environment.
Photography Credits:
Castle Photography Inc.
