Mayor Adams is weighing the possibility of turning the Kingsbridge Armory in the Bronx into a semiconductor manufacturing plant, and he has discussed the idea with President Trump amid the administration’s ongoing trade war with China over tariffs.

Adams discussed the idea of establishing chip manufacturing with Trump during a January meeting with the president, he told Piers Morgan in an interview posted Thursday. Trump has roiled the nation’s economy as he pursues a harder line on imports, arguing a key goal is to protect and restore American manufacturing.

“As I stated, [it] was about bringing jobs to New York,” Adams told the media personality. “There’s a place in the Bronx where we just put $100 million into an armory there, and I want to produce and develop chips there so we don’t continue to be dependent on sources outside the country. And that was what our conversation was on.”

Kayla Mamelak, a spokesperson for the mayor, confirmed he is weighing using the site to manufacture computer chips. Mamelak said that the country gets the semiconductors from overseas, and that bringing production locally would bring manufacturing jobs to New York City.

This idea comes as the president has escalated tariffs on Taiwan and China, two major suppliers of the computer chips for the U.S.

The potential change of approach for the armory could run counter to current plans to create recreation and community spaces, an entertainment venue and affordable housing in the long-vacant space. It’s unclear how a plant would affect those plans.

Bronx Councilwoman Pierina Sanchez, who represents the district that includes the Kingsbridge Armory, noted the development plan includes a “manufacturing” component. She said she has heard from stakeholders involved in the plan that semiconductor production is a potential avenue being explored for that component.

Shortly before the January meeting with Trump, the mayor’s administration selected 8th Regiment Partners, an LLC made up of Maddd Equities and Joy Construction, to develop the huge space.

Sources with direct knowledge of the situation said Maddd’s founder, Jorge Madruga, met with Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of Trump, in Florida around the same time to discuss the possibility of federal funding for the semiconductor project.

A spokesperson for 8th Regiment Partners denied the meeting occurred.

“As we consider potential partners for the future of the Kingsbridge Armory we have made no secret that we would consider bringing high paying technology jobs as the light manufacturing component of our project,” the spokesperson said. “We look forward to continuing our work with local elected officials, community stakeholders and the Bronx community to bring a project forward for this historic site that works for everyone.”

Since his inauguration, Trump has taken steps to escalate trade wars on countries including China. In discussing the possibility of a semiconductor plant in the Bronx, Adams echoed Trump’s economic views.

“We’ve been held hostage by China,” Adams said during the Piers Morgan interview. “Just about every product we have is made in China. We know that we can’t continue to go down that road.”

Adams, who faces accusations of being beholden to Trump after his Justice Department dismissed his federal corruption indictment last month, floated similar ideas about a chip plant in the Bronx during a recent appearance on comedian Andrew Schulz’s podcast, “Flagrant.”

“I want to revitalize the economy,” Adams said during the April interview. “I want to put a chip plant up in the Bronx, where we can make the chips and not be held hostage by Taiwan and others.”

Madruga, Maddd’s founder, is a longtime fixture of local politics and a big donor to the mayor and other New York City powerbrokers, including Bronx-Manhattan Rep. Adriano Espaillat.

White House officials didn’t immediately return requests for comment.

“Maddd Equities’ proposal is reflective of a 9-month engagement process that’s responsive to what the community wants — for the armory to be an economic growth engine for the Bronx and our entire city,” a spokesperson for the mayor said in a statement. “There continues to be a manufacturing component to this project, the exact details and uses for which are still being discussed.”

Adams’ curveball about potentially turning the armory into a semiconductor facility comes as the development contract his administration already entered into for the site has been mired in allegations of favoritism.

Manny Tavarez, who was one of the competing bidders on the project, filed a lawsuit in March alleging the selection of Maddd for the development was improper and politically motivated.

According to the suit, Tavarez’ company, Agallas Equities, was in line to be announced as the winner of the Kingsbridge redevelopment in January — but Adams’ administration allegedly then reversed itself at the last minute and instead gave the deal to a consortium of developers led by Maddd after allowing the firm to revise its proposal post-deadline.

Tavarez said he has also has filed complaints with the Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office and the city Department of Investigation.

The Adams administration maintains the Kingsbridge contract was properly awarded after Maddd submitted the best bid.

Adams on Friday traveled to the White House to meet with Trump. City Hall spokespeople did not immediately comment on whether the issue of the chip plant had come up in that meeting.

Originally Published: May 9, 2025 at 2:13 PM EDT