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- SERVING HUNTS POINT, LONGWOOD, MOTT HAVEN AND SOUNDVIEW -

The Official Word

Announcements From the Public Officials of District 17



MAYOR BLOOMBERG ANNOUNCES SELECTION OF BALDOR AND ANHEUSER-BUSCH TO EXPAND IN HUNTS POINT


Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today announced the selection of Baldor Specialty Foods and Anheuser-Busch of New York to expand their businesses on two City-owned sites on the Hunts Point Peninsula in the South Bronx. These selections allow both companies to remain in New York City and expand their rapidly growing businesses in Hunts Point, the City’s leading center of wholesale food distribution. Combined, these projects are expected to create more than 900 new permanent and construction jobs over the next three years, and retain about 830 jobs.


In addition, the projects will generate more than $50 million in private investment in the South Bronx and more than $40 million in economic activity over the next 20 years. Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion, City Council Member Maria del Carmen Arroyo, Deputy Mayor for Economic Development & Rebuilding Daniel L. Doctoroff, Economic Development Corporation (EDC) President Andrew M. Alper, Baldor Specialty Foods CEO Kevin Murphy, Anheuser-Busch Inc. President August A. Busch IV and Hunts Point Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Josephine Infante attended the announcement at 155 Food Center Drive, where Baldor is expanding.


“Baldor and Anheuser-Busch are making an enormous contribution to the Hunts Point Peninsula and to the economic revitalization that is rapidly transforming the South Bronx,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “With today’s announcement, we are moving forward with the goals I outlined earlier this year as part of the Hunts Point Vision Plan, which aims to attract and grow businesses, create more jobs and make the community a better place to live. By expanding Hunts Point’s food-related uses and developing the waterfront greenway throughout the peninsula, these businesses are a vital part of the effort to make the Hunts Point Peninsula, which already employs more than 10,000 people and is home to one of the most important food distribution centers in the world, an even stronger engine of the City’s economic growth.”


“The expansion of Baldor Specialty Foods and Anheuser-Busch in the Hunts Point Peninsula is another example of the optimism people have in the Bronx and the unprecedented economic development that has been taking place in our borough in recent years,” said Bronx Borough President Carrion. “When we invest wisely in our communities we create opportunities for residents to benefit from a strong economy. This is how we are building a better Bronx – by building and investing from within the community.”


“I am pleased with the overall plan for the development in the Hunts Point Market,” said Councilwoman Arroyo. “It will provide expansion of several businesses which have been in our community for decades.”


Baldor Specialty Foods had outgrown its current facility in Hunts Point, and was selected to occupy 155 Food Center Drive, which includes an 185,000-square-foot refrigerated warehouse and distribution facility. The new site offers Baldor the opportunity to expand into larger facilities to accommodate its rapid growth, which exceeded 20% a year for the past five years. Baldor has made a commitment to keep its 510 workers and expects to add 450 new jobs over the next three years, and will expand its commitment to hire new employees from the community. The new facility is expected to be ready for operation by summer 2006. EDC issued the lease offering for the 12.8-acre site in September 2005. The site is bounded by Food Center Drive to the north and east, the Hunts Point Co-operative Meat Market to the south, and the Consolidated Edison substation to the west.


“We at Baldor would like to say how pleased we are to be awarded the building at 155 Food Center Drive,” said Baldor CEO Kevin Murphy. “We recognize that several worthy businesses vied for the opportunity to take advantage of this premier site. Baldor is pleased that the city recognizes our hard work and vision and agrees that keeping Baldor in the Bronx will best serve the community for years to come. This permits us to continue to create good paying jobs for all local residents and to continue serving the finest foodservice operations in New York City and its surrounding boroughs. Baldor is investing millions of dollars to keep our company thriving in the Bronx and to make this site a state-of-the-art headquarters for our food service distribution needs.”


Anheuser-Busch, the St. Louis-based beverage giant, was selected to develop a 167,000-square-foot warehouse and distribution facility. The development will allow the company to relocate from its current location within the Queens West development area in Long Island City, and modernize and expand its operations. The company agreed to retain its 322 existing jobs, and create about 100 new permanent jobs and 389 construction jobs; the company has also made a commitment to hire new employees from the community. As part of the project, the company will invest $1 million toward community programs and projects, including the development of the South Bronx Greenway. EDC issued a Request for Proposals for the 12-acre site in September 2004. The site is bounded by Food Center Drive to the west, 400 Food Center Drive to the north, the Bronx River to the east, and 600 Food Center Drive to the south. Construction is expected to begin Summer 2006, and will take about 18 months to complete.


“Anheuser-Busch is thrilled to be a part of the future of economic development in New York City by relocating our operations to the thriving Hunts Point area in the Bronx,” said Anheuser-Busch President August A. Busch IV. “Our state-of-the-art distribution facility will help keep permanent jobs here and allow us to continue to serve our customers with the freshest beer possible. Thanks to the leadership and support of Mayor Bloomberg, Bronx Borough President Carrion, Deputy Mayor Doctoroff and the EDC, we believe generations of New Yorkers will also benefit from our company’s environmental commitment to the South Bronx Greenway.”


“I am thrilled that these two highly respected companies will further the development of the Food Distribution Center in Hunts Point as a vital center of commerce in New York,” said EDC President Alper. “It will create new good-paying jobs for the people of the Bronx and is a reflection of the success of Mayor Bloomberg’s economic development strategy of making the City more livable, business friendly and economically diverse.”


Today’s announcement is the latest in a series of unprecedented public and private investment in the South Bronx. In March 2005, Mayor Bloomberg announced a commitment of $27 million to promote economic development in Hunts Point, and unveiled a comprehensive vision plan aimed at promoting a competitive business environment and sustainable community in the area. The Administration worked closely with community leaders to create the plan, which calls for developing new waterfront parks, improving traffic safety, upgrading street lighting, repaving streets and improving rail freight lines. In addition, the Department of City Planning is working on a rezoning plan for the area to encourage the expansion of food-related businesses, and the City is launching a comprehensive study to evaluate the opportunities for a potential redevelopment of the Hunts Point Produce Market. In keeping with the City’s Vision Plan recommendations for the area, both Baldor and Anheuser-Busch have committed to maximizing rail freight to reduce truck traffic and emissions.


The Hunts Point Peninsula has an area of roughly 690 acres, with almost half made up of the 329-acre Food Distribution Center, and is located in a Federal Empowerment Zone, New York State Empire Zone, and New York City Commercial Expansion Area, allowing businesses in the area to qualify for a variety of benefits. Much of the New York region is fed by the center, which has more than 130 wholesalers that generate revenue of more than $3 billion a year.


The City has already invested $110 million at the Hunts Point fish and produce markets. Earlier this month, the Mayor welcomed the Fulton Fish Market’s 38 wholesalers and 600 employees to their new $85 million facility at the Food Distribution Center in Hunts Point. The state-of-the-art market brings about $1 billion annually in economic activity to the Bronx.


To further revitalize the South Bronx, the Bloomberg administration announced an agreement this summer with the New York Yankees for an area revitalization plan that will include a new Yankee Stadium to be built just north of the existing facility. The plan calls for a new waterfront park and esplanade along the Harlem River, significant streetscape, traffic and infrastructure improvements, and the construction of more than 5,000 new structured parking spaces. The Yankee Stadium project coincides with the rehabilitation of the adjacent Bronx Terminal Market. Plans for the new Gateway Center at the Bronx Terminal Market include a one million-square-foot retail center and a public park along the waterfront. The project will bring 5,000 permanent and construction jobs to the South Bronx and is expected to generate more than $20 million in annual tax revenue for the City. In addition, the Administration is moving ahead with high-quality mixed use developments on two long-vacant sites in the Hub. These much anticipated developments, the first of which begins construction early next year, will offer expanded retail, entertainment, and housing options to local residents and help strengthen the Hub as the commercial center of the South Bronx.



Serrano Sends Letter to Bloomberg Opposing Power Plant Proposal


The Honorable Michael R. Bloomberg

Mayor of the City of New York

City Hall

52 Chambers Street

New York, New York 10007-1222


Dear Mayor Bloomberg:


I write to you regarding a significant parcel of land within my Congressional District, lot 174 in block 2604, a 28 acre site on the East River coastline, commonly known as the Oakpoint or Norkin site. This area, situated between the neighborhoods of Hunts Point, Mott Haven, and Port Morris, can play a critical role in the revitalization of the southern tier of my district. Its size will enable it to accommodate multiple beneficial uses, while its industrial zoning, potential rail and barge access, historic granite piers, and proximity to major nodes on the proposed South Bronx greenway all lend significance to this long neglected site. I understand that a privately-developed 1,000 megawatt power plant is now under consideration for the site despite longstanding and vocal community opposition to such a use on the site. I ask that the City consult with my constituents and engage them in a community planning process to determine the best use for this, the largest undeveloped parcel in the southern half of my district. This is especially important to me in light of the nearly $300,000 in federal funds I have helped secure for local groups to study potential reuses for this and other brownfield sites in the Hunts Point, Port Morris, and Mott Haven communities.


As you may know, I clearly stated my opposition to a power plant on this site when ABB proposed a similar project in 1999. I believe that such a plant would increase the already harmful levels of air pollution in the surrounding neighborhoods while providing few local benefits to area residents. It is my understanding that community members and local officials met with Steve Smith, who currently holds site control, in May of 2004 to express their clear opposition to his proposal and to provide possible multi-use alternatives. Because Mr. Smith’s company is apparently in tax arrears, the City is well-positioned to prudently guide the redevelopment of this site and ensure a high degree of community involvement in planning for potential end uses.


As you are no doubt aware, the South Bronx bears the municipal burden of much regional infrastructure that negatively impacts the health of my constituents and the quality of life in their neighborhoods. My district is the host community for sewage and sludge treatment plants, nearly a third of the City's waste transfer stations, and the world’s largest food distribution center. Nearly 15,000 diesel trucks enter the Hunts Point peninsula each day. Furthermore, the South Bronx was targeted as recently as 2001 for the joint siting of two 79.9 megawatt power plants—just shy of the 80 megawatt standard required for an environmental review—worsening the already poor air quality.


The proven correlation between high levels of diesel soot, power plant pollution, and the scourge of childhood asthma and adult respiratory problems is nowhere more evident than in my home district. Understanding the direct connection between urban planning, siting decisions and the health and quality of life of a community, the people of the South Bronx can and should be involved in the decision making process for the development of the Oak Point site.


The community I represent is rich in innovators and visionaries in urban planning. In addition, local grassroots leadership with a significant track record of active, community-based land-use planning, offers a tremendous resource to the City for informed community development. One such significant example of the impact and potential of the Bronx's voice are the contributions made by local groups to the Solid Waste Management Plan (SWMP) and the proposal to re-use marine transfer stations as the infrastructure for the new waste export plan. The future of the Oak Point site represents another opportunity for the City to gain from the expertise of those most directly affected by the consequences of its planning decisions.


I therefore urge the City to capitalize on one of its greatest assets--the vision, energy, and expertise of local community organizations and residents. I believe that a power plant, developed by Mr. Smith or any other entity, is a wholly inappropriate use for the site and that far more suitable end uses may emerge from serious discussions with the impacted communities. There are many possibilities for the Oak Point site, including proposals to develop a Recycling Industrial Park, establish an incubator for green manufacturers, and to utilize the historic piers at water’s edge for maritime recreation and as a crucial link in the proposed South Bronx Greenway route.


The environmental justice concerns and public health considerations I have raised only underscore the importance of engaging local residents in decisions affecting their neighborhood. I am confident that such an approach will yield a mutually acceptable outcome for the City, for Mr. Smith, and for the community.


Sincerely,

José E. Serrano

Member of Congress



Mayor Breaks Ground on Affordable Housing and Community Park in Hunts Point


Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today broke ground on the development of 90 affordable rental apartments for low-income families and fifteen units for formerly homeless families in a 105-unit building – the Tiffany Gardens Apartment and Community Park in the South Bronx. This residential development and an adjacent park are being developed by South East Bronx Community Organization (SEBCO). The project is one the last undeveloped site in the Longwood Urban Renewal Area and will turn an eyesore into affordable housing and recreational space for the community. Mayor Bloomberg joined State Assembly Member Vito Lopez, NYS Division of Housing and Community Renewal Commissioner Judy Calogero, NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Shaun Donovan, South East Bronx Community Organization Founder Father Lewis Gigante, and St. Atanasius Church Pastor Monsignor William Smith at St. Athanasius Church Plaza on Southern Boulevard at Tiffany Street to announce this new development.


“Tiffany Gardens marks another major milestone in the ongoing renaissance of the Hunts Point community,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “Gaining access to affordable housing, in safe neighborhoods and in neighborhoods where schools provide children with the highest quality education are the most basic aspirations of working New Yorkers today. Our Administration will continue to marshal the resources necessary and build partnerships between the private and public sector in order to improve the communities of all those who work and struggle daily for a better future. I commend SEBCO for developing this one-time city-owned land for affordable housing and recreation space for the people of this area.”


This new housing will be on Southern Boulevard between Tiffany and Barretto Streets and the Community Park will be at corner of Southern Blvd. and Barretto Street. The land was conveyed for a nominal fee by the City of New York to SEBCO. Funds were provided by New York State under the Homes for Working Families program, a federal Home Loan Bank grant, an Empire State Development Corporation loan and financing from Washington Mutual and First Sterling Financial, Inc. SEBCO is building the adjacent park with funds raised through its own initiative. SEBCO has been active in providing housing and social services in the South Bronx for 37 years, including the new construction, rehabilitation and management of over 5000 residential units.


The seven-story building will contain 104 two-bedroom rental units plus one superintendent’s unit. The apartments will be affordable to low-income working families with fifteen units for formerly homeless families. 21 of the units will rent at $636 (plus electric), so they are affordable for families with income below 50% of area median income ($31,400 for a family of four). 83 of the units will rent at $777.75 (plus electric), so they are affordable for families with income below 60% of area median income ($37,680 for family of four).


“The construction of 105 two bedroom apartments on the last sizeable vacant lot in Hunts Point is an important addition to the community,” said SEBCO Chairman and founder Father Louis R. Gigante. “It completes the Southern Boulevard corridor and will provide working class families with safe and affordable housing while simultaneously stimulating the economic base of the neighborhood. We thank Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Pataki for making these projects a reality.”


“I would like to salute and congratulate Mayor Bloomberg, the city, the state and SEBCO for providing much needed affordable housing for the residents of the Bronx,” said Assembly Member Vito Lopez.


“The housing market in the Bronx is booming and this project is further proof of what we’ve been saying: The Bronx is back,” said Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion. “A beautiful building like this helps restore dignity to the tenants, the neighborhood and the Bronx as a whole; it’s also a great example of the great things that can happen with intergovernmental cooperation. This is our work at its best. This building will provide housing for families in the Hunts Point Area, in the heart of the South Bronx, and will provide more than just much needed housing for Bronxites. The building will further strengthen the economic base and quality of life for the borough.”


Tiffany Gardens is part of the Mayor’s efforts to make Hunts Point more livable and economically stronger. Over the last several years the Administration has worked with SEBCO and other community leaders in a Hunts Point Task Force to develop a comprehensive plan for the community’s future. It includes a proposed rezoning of parts of the Hunts Point community that will encourage the growth of the area’s food-related industry and a $27 million investment of capital funds for area infrastructure improvements. In March, “Hunts Point Works” was opened, a workforce development center that will train community residents for the hundreds of new food industry jobs that are being created in the neighborhood.


Earlier this month, Mayor Bloomberg joined community leaders and local elected officials to break ground for Barretto Point Park, a former industrial brownfield that will become a five-acre waterfront park. It and the development of nearby Hunts Point Riverside Park are part of the historic “greening” of the Bronx that the Administration is undertaking. These projects complement the $220 million rehabilitation of 70 other parks throughout the Bronx in connection to the construction of the Croton Water Filtration Facility.


“Tiffany Gardens marks another major milestone in the ongoing renaissance of the South Bronx in general and the Hunts Point community in particular,” said New York State Department of Housing and Community Renewal Commissioner Judith Calogero. “Governor Pataki and I have been stalwart partners in New York City’s determined efforts to create 68,000 affordable housing opportunities by 2008: this development is but the most recent example of our shared commitment. Thanks to the advocacy and leadership of people like Father Gigante and groups like SEBCO we have now transformed the last major vacant parcel of city-owned land in this once-blighted Hunts Point neighborhood. Because of this dynamic public/private partnership and others like it, the affordable housing goals we have set for the City seem well within range.”



Officials Break Ground on Barretto Point Park


Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg was today joined by Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe to break ground on Barretto Point Park. The new five-acre park will be built on what is now undeveloped property and will add to the expanding network of new and improved parks throughout the Bronx. The $6.9 million waterfront park will be completed in the fall of 2006. The Mayor and Parks Commissioner were joined at the announcement by Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Emily Lloyd, State Senator Ruben Diaz and Council Member Maria del Carmen Arroyo.


“Barretto Point Park will be another great park for the Bronx and a beautiful addition to the City’s rapidly changing waterfront,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “As we have also shown in Fort Totten in Queens, Greenpoint and Williamsburg in Brooklyn and Staten Island’s Homeport, this administration is committed to revitalizing and improving our waterfront. In addition to the 70 parks improvement projects made possible by the creation of the Croton Water Filtration Plant, this new park is another example of our commitment to improving the quality of life throughout the Bronx.”


“We are thrilled to announce the creation of a new park the South Bronx,” said Commissioner Benepe. “Thanks to vision and generous funding capital by Mayor Bloomberg, waterfront parks throughout New York City are experiencing a waterfront renaissance. In the Bronx, we have focused on improving waterfront access and expanding our greenway system.”


“Barretto Point Park is another example of how DEP can partner with Parks to create new and exciting environments to improve neighborhoods at the same time as we improve our facilities,” said Commissioner Lloyd.”


In addition to $5 million from the Mayor’s Executive Budget, the project also received a $1.5 million grant from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and a $350,000 Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act grant. The project will transform what is now an abandoned field into a beautiful waterfront park. The park’s design will take advantage of its perch on the East River, providing waterfront access to a community that currently has very limited access to the river.


Barretto Point Park’s main design feature is an undulating promenade that will be lined with benches and trees, and will circle a large central lawn. A stone and grass amphitheater and stage will look out onto the East River and skyline vistas. A sand volleyball area will be carved into the central lawn adjacent to a natural sand beach.


Athletic courts, play equipment, a comfort station, a boathouse, a custom designed ornamental steel fence, and perimeter plantings will line the park’s border. It will also include play equipment and fitness areas. A concrete channel along the shoreline promenade will carry water from a decorative spray shower through a series of twists and turns before spilling into the river. In addition, several thousand shrubs, grasses, and trees will be planted, with picnic areas to be located among the groves of trees. Boulders, fieldstone, and stone veneer will be used throughout the park to draw upon the rocky Bronx shoreline and the exposed ledge common throughout the Bronx. Recycled plastic lumber will be used in the benches, picnic tables, cribbing, and barrier rails.


Barretto Point Park is named after Francis J. Barretto, former Assemblyman of Westchester County. He and his wife, Julia Coster, owned an estate in the area during the 1800’s. Prior to 1950, the site housed a sand and gravel operation and an asphalt plant. In 2001, Parks & Recreation acquired the property from the Department of Environmental Protection. At that time, it was designated a brownfield site as a result of years of industrial use. Parks and DEP worked to decontaminate the area and subjected it to a series of environmental tests to ensure the property is clean.



Congressman Serrano's Letter to the New York Yankees


Randy Levine, President

New York Yankees

Yankee Stadium

Bronx, NY 10451


Dear Mr. Levine:


First of all I would like to send you my heartiest personal congratulations and thanks for reaching this landmark agreement for a new stadium that will keep the Yankees in the Bronx. Congratulations on working so closely with the City, Borough President Adolfo Carrion, and other officials to keep the history and heritage of the Yankees exactly where it belongs-in our dynamic borough.


As you know, we are in the midst of a busy session in Congress and today there are nearly 25 votes on appropriations bills on the floor of the House of Representatives. As the only New York City Congressman on the House Appropriations Committee, I need to be here in Washington.


But I am with you there in spirit, celebrating with you, with the Yankees, and with the rest of the Bronx. I am not just the Congressman who represents the area around Yankee Stadium, I am also a huge Yankee fan and resident and member of the Yankee Stadium community: I live on the Grand Concourse just blocks away from the Stadium. I shop in the area, attend Yankee games, visit the local parks, walk the streets in the area.


The Golden Gate Bridge is a San Francisco icon, the US Capitol immovable from Washington DC. The greatest sports franchise on earth, the Bronx Bombers, belongs squarely in the Bronx. The Yankees are a vital Bronx institution and their presence in the Bronx helps both the surrounding area and the entire borough.


I appreciate your listening to my concerns and communicating with me on a regular basis throughout this process as a final package was being finalized. Congratulations on this agreement, and I stand ready to continue working with you as the Bronx-Yankee relationship continues to flourish and grow.


All the best,




José E. Serrano

Member of Congress



MAYOR MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG UNVEILS HUNTS POINT VISION PLAN AT NEW WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT CENTER IN SOUTH BRONX


Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced on March 8, 2005 the Hunts Point Vision Plan and an initial investment of $27 million to implement this comprehensive initiative aimed at promoting a competitive business environment and sustainable community on the Hunts Point Peninsula in the South Bronx. 


Mayor Bloomberg made the announcement at the opening of Hunts Point Works, the City's new employment and training center which will serve local job seekers and businesses in Hunts Point.  In addition to committing more than $27 million in capital funds to carry out the Vision Plan's initial goals, the City has already invested $110 million at the Hunts Point Fish and Produce Markets. 


Mayor Bloomberg was joined in announcing the Administration's comprehensive plan to spur business and employment growth in Hunts Point by Deputy Mayor for Economic Development and Rebuilding Daniel Doctoroff, Economic Development Corporation (EDC) President Andrew Alper, Department of Small Business Services (SBS) Commissioner Robert Walsh, Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion, City Council Member Maria del Carmen Arroyo, Executive Director of the Hunts Point Economic Development Corporation Josephine Infante, CEO & President of the Wildcat Service Corporation Amalia Betanzos and Executive Director of Sustainable South Bronx Majora Carter.


"The Hunts Point Peninsula employs well over 10,000 people and is home to one of the most important food distribution centers in the world," said Mayor Bloomberg. "But it is also true that this part of the City can be doing better.  This new vision of Hunts Point, coupled with the opening of our new workforce development centers, will attract and grow businesses, put people to work and make the community a more vibrant place to live.  I can say with confidence that the future of Hunts Point has never been brighter.  I want to thank all of the Task Force members, elected officials, and businesses and community groups who have contributed so much time and effort to this extremely important initiative."


The goals of the Hunts Point Vision Plan includes developing new waterfront parks, improving traffic safety, upgrading street lighting, repaving streets and improving the rail freight lines serving Hunts Point.  Additionally, the Vision Plan will better link workers to anticipated new jobs through collaboration with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to provide new bus service to the Hunts Point area.


Borough President Carrion is contributing $1 million toward streetscape improvements in Hunts Point. Other elected officials making financial contributions for streetscape work are Assembly Member Carmen Arroyo ($850,000) and Assembly Member Ruben Diaz Jr. ($319,000). Congressman Jose Serrano is adding $700,000 towards restoration of the Hunts Point waterfront. 


"I would like to thank Mayor Bloomberg and his administration for accepting our invitation to explore the incredible potential that exists in Hunts Point," said Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion.  "Many city agencies were made available to the task force and as a result we have created a blueprint for community redevelopment. This truly was a cooperative process. Development only works when environmental, social and economic factors are all equally addressed.  I believe the Hunts Point plan has achieved this."


"The creation of the Hunts Point Vision Plan is an extraordinary achievement that will advance Mayor Bloomberg's economic development goals of making the City more livable, business friendly and economically diverse," said EDC President Alper. "It will guide us as we move forward on a number of initiatives to enhance Hunts Point's capacity as a center of commerce, with a number of new developments in the Food Distribution Center including the opening of the $85 million Fulton Fish Market at Hunts Point this spring and the already developed $25 million Produce Market."


Mayor Bloomberg formed the Hunts Point Task Force in 2003 to provide a forum for addressing critical concerns about Hunts Point.  The Bloomberg administration worked closely with community leaders, particularly Borough President Carrion, to identify a diverse group of business owners, local constituents, elected officials and government agencies to create and implement the Vision Plan. Over the course of a year, the Task Force met more than 20 times to explore important issues and identify solutions.


The Task Force's recommendations include a number of initiatives to improve land use options on the peninsula. City Planning will rezone the area to encourage the growth and expansion of the food-related industry. The rezoning is also intended to protect the adjacent residential neighborhood while discouraging the expansion of waste-related uses in sensitive areas. Depending on the final recommendations of the Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan, the City will work with the Task Force to identify a re-use plan for the Marine Transfer Station site, which is currently closed.  In addition, EDC will market the remaining vacant parcels within the Food Distribution Center to attract new food-distribution and manufacturing companies for the food markets.


As part of the effort to create better traffic conditions on the peninsula, the City's Department of Transportation has already implemented new truck routes to provide a more efficient and safer circulation pattern. In addition, the City will improve critical intersections, install large truck way-finding signs, and reconfigure Food Center Drive to allow for intersection improvements, one-way circulation and a new bike lane. EDC and DOT will make streetscapes and sidewalks more pedestrian-friendly by improving lighting, landscaping and paving surfaces. And EDC is evaluating the existing rail freight network to identify improvements that will serve businesses on the peninsula.  


To improve connections in Hunts Point, the City will continue to work with the MTA to provide new bus service in Hunts Point, particularly on the peninsula's western sector. Gateway markers are planned for the peninsula's major entry-points. The Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation will work to start up a commuter van service to help local residents get to work. And DOT will improve crossings to the new waterfront parks under construction.


The Department of Parks & Recreation will soon start construction on the new Barretto Point Park at the southern end of Tiffany Street, which will offer waterfront access for the peninsula's western shore, and construction of Riverside Park is currently underway offering a link to the Bronx River.  To complement these initiatives, EDC, in partnership with the Point Community Development Corporation and Sustainable South Bronx, is advancing the revitalization of the waterfront through the development of the South Bronx Greenway.


The Hunts Point Economic Development Corporation, in partnership with Wildcat Services Corporation, will manage Hunts Point Works, the new employment and training center at 647 Bryant Avenue which is under contract with SBS.  For businesses, the center will recruit and screen potential employees and coordinate training programs that teach specialized skills such as fish-cutting. For job seekers, the center will provide evaluation, referrals to training, job placement assistance and other services. Community-based organizations will play a central role in this program, both in referring individuals to the center and in receiving referrals from the center for training and other services. The center will also work extensively with the Bronx Workforce1 Career Center.


"Simply put, Hunts Point Works is about getting jobs for New Yorkers," said Commissioner Walsh.  "As a central part of the Mayor's emphasis on diversifying the City's economy, the relocation of the fish market and creation of the Hunts Point Vision Plan will bring growth to the South Bronx.  This growth means jobs-and this center is perfectly positioned to recruit, train and deliver good workers."


The Hunts Point Peninsula has an area of roughly 690 acres, with almost half made up of the 329-acre Food Distribution Center. Much of the New York region is fed by the Food Distribution Center, which has more than 115 wholesalers that generate revenue of more than $3 billion a year.



Councilmember Jose Serrano - $350,000 for running track at St. Mary’s Park and half a dozen other items.

As part of the city’s $47 billion budget, individual City Council members lobby for money for specific projects in their district, often called “member items.” For more about the budget and member items, read Bringing Budget Dollars Back to the Neighborhood.

The following is a list of local budget items provided by Jose Serrano, City Councilmember for the South Bronx.

In the capital budget, we received:

$875,000 for Civic Builders. The charter school, Bronx School of Arts, for cafeteria/auditorium.

$750,000 for Woodstock Library

$125,000 for repairs at the St. Mary’s recreational center

$350,000 to Parks Department for St. Mary’s Park to redo inside of running track and synthetic turf for multi-use play.

$350,000 Jardin Crillio community garden to relocate community garden and improved landscape, water feeds, black iron fence.



MAYOR UNVEILS PLANS FOR GATEWAY CENTER AT THE BRONX TERMINAL MARKET

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrión, Jr., The Related Companies Chairman Stephen Ross and New York City Economic Development Corporation President Andrew M. Alper today announced plans for the Gateway Center at the Bronx Terminal Market. The Related Companies and the City reached an agreement for Related to lease the 26-acre property for the next 63 months while it finalizes long-term plans for the development. After agreeing to take over the property, Related reached an agreement with the City to continue to operate the Market for the next two years while the company's development plan for a retail center, waterfront esplanade and public open space goes through the City's public review process. After that process is completed, construction will take about two years, and the entire retail center is expected to open in 2008.  Upon approval of the development plan the City agreed to grant Related a 49-year lease for the property, with options to extend to 99 years.

"The plans for the Gateway Center at the Bronx Terminal Market put an end to the 30-year reign that allowed this remarkable site to deteriorate and become a monumental eyesore and detriment to the whole borough," said Mayor Bloomberg. "The proposal from Related will not only remove this blight, it will also create about one million square feet of quality retail space, an inviting waterfront esplanade and park and generate thousands of jobs for area residents and enormous tax revenues for the City. This is another example of this Administration's commitment to resolving long-standing disputes that impede the City's ability to capitalize on our assets and improve our economy."

"I commend the Bloomberg Administration for its efforts on the redevelopment of the Bronx Terminal Market," said Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrión, Jr. "As a result of our collective efforts, the Bronx and New York City will have 4,500 permanent and construction jobs. This is a milestone in the economic revitalization of the Bronx. I look forward to continuing a close working relationship with this Administration as we continue to revitalize the Bronx."

"The Related Companies is excited to be a part of the continuing revitalization of the Bronx," said Related Chairman Ross. "We are confident that when completed, Gateway Center at the Bronx Terminal Market will stand out as a critical catalyst for future economic development and job creation for all the people of the Bronx."

"This is indeed a reason to celebrate the new Bronx," said EDC President Alper. "We have not only ended a contentious tenant/landlord dispute that spanned 30 years, with more than a decade in litigation, we are moving forward with a development project that will bring new life and jobs, as well as waterfront access to Bronx residents. The current tenants of the Market will also benefit from this agreement. They will continue to occupy the Market for the next few years and the City and the Developer will work with them on a relocation plan. Meanwhile, necessary improvements and maintenance that has been sorely lacking will be done."

The Related Companies' proposed $300 million development plan calls for about one million square feet of retail space with a mix of big box, specialty and smaller shops in five newly-constructed multi-tier buildings, structured parking linking the retail buildings with space for about 3,000 cars, a one-acre public park with an esplanade along the Harlem River, and possibly a hotel. The project will create more than 2,400 construction jobs and about 2,100 permanent jobs. It will generate approximately $21 million in annual tax revenue for the City.

The Bronx Terminal Market was built in the 1920s and at one time was one of the largest Hispanic food wholesale operations in the country with more than 100 tenants and over 1,000 employees. It is located near Yankee Stadium between East 149th Street, River Avenue and the Harlem River. Today, the Market consists of nine buildings, seven of which are partially occupied, with less than 30 fruit and vegetable wholesalers remaining. One of the buildings, known a WH-1, is in hazardous condition and demolition will be commenced by Related over the next few months.

This project is just one example of how the Bloomberg Administration is working to make the Bronx more attractive to residents and businesses alike. Over the past year, the City has been working with the Hunts Point Task Force to develop a 20-year Vision Plan for Hunts Point. The Vision Plan is the result of a collaborative effort between multiple City agencies, community organizations, businesses, governmental agencies, and elected officials to define a coordinated vision for neighborhood revitalization. Preliminary recommendations have outlined a comprehensive series of improvements that cover everything from transportation, waterfront, workforce, and land use policy.  The Task Force has concentrated on identifying short-term action items that will make a difference in the near-term, such as truck routing and way-finding, land use policy changes, streetscape improvements, points of waterfront access, and a pilot workforce development program. The Vision Plan will be completed later this spring.



Bloomberg: Topping-Out Ceremony for Fulton Fish Market

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg on October 9th presided at a topping-out ceremony to celebrate the placing of the final steel beam for the future home of the Fulton Fish Market at Hunts Point in the South Bronx. The new market will bring more than $1 billion in new economic activity and about 600 jobs to Hunts Point. The relocation will also help ensure the City’s long-term retention of the wholesale seafood industry. The Fulton Fish Market at Hunts Point is one of the world’s largest fish markets, second only to Tokyo, and has been located at the South Street Seaport in Lower Manhattan for over a hundred and fifty years. Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrión, Jr., Hunts Point Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Josephine Infante, New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC) President Andrew M. Alper, and Robert Smith of the New Fulton Fish Market Cooperative at Hunts Point joined the Mayor at the ceremony.

“Moving the Fulton Fish Market to Hunts Point is great news for everyone involved,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “The fish merchants will get a new, safe and efficient facility that will provide space to grow and expand; retailers, restaurants and consumers will get top-quality seafood products; and the Bronx will become the home of the country’s preeminent wholesale food market. The Fish Market will join the produce and meat markets to make the Hunts Point Food Distribution Center the world’s premier food distribution center.”

“Hunts Point is the perfect location for the Fulton Fish Market, with unmatched access to great transportation connections via rail, road and water,” said Bronx Borough President Carrión. “This project means new jobs in the Bronx and advances my vision for the development of the Hunts Point Peninsula and the entire Bronx waterfront. We look forward to the day the market open here in the Bronx.”

The City is constructing an approximately 430,000-square-foot facility on 30 acres of vacant land at the southern end of the Hunts Point Food Distribution Center. When completed in early 2005, all the market’s 50 wholesale fish companies will move from Lower Manhattan to the new facility. The new state-of-the-art facility will adhere to regulations implemented by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for food safety.

The market will be a secure, gated facility with controlled access. Its new layout will increase efficiency and cut unloading time by 50 percent – from five hours to two and a half hours. Thirty semi-trucks will be able to be unloaded at the same time at the new facility, compared with 12 at the current location in Lower Manhattan. The new facility will also feature ample parking facilities to accommodate semi-trucks, retailer vans and employee vehicles.

The new location will also provide fish wholesalers the opportunity to extend their business hours. The current hours of operation at the South Street Seaport location are restricted because public streets are used for selling and moving products from stalls to customers’ vehicles. It is expected that the convenient location at Hunts Point will provide easy access to a larger regional marketplace for seafood products.

The 1,300-foot-long building features a corridor down the center of the building with vendors on either side. It will have ten separate entrances to provide convenient access from any part of the parking lot and a loading dock at either end of the building. Each vendor space will have display space, a freezer and storage space. A 100,000-square-foot mezzanine will provide space for offices, restrooms and lockers. There will also be approximately 5,000 square feet of rental space that may be used for retail purposes such as a restaurant or a bank.

“The Fulton Fish Market is more than bricks and mortar,” said EDC President Alper. “By building a new market that will ensure the long-term viability of this industry, we are providing the fish merchants with a real future and preserving an important piece of New York City history. At the same time, we are also enhancing the redevelopment of the former Fish Market site to make the historic South Street Seaport a more desirable residential, retail and expanded museum district.”

“In the present economy when the Administration has had to make some tough decisions regarding capital spending, I am pleased that Mayor Bloomberg decided to move this project forward,” said Robert Smith of the New Fulton Fish Market Cooperative at Hunts Point. “I have reviewed the plans for the new facility and I know that it will improve efficiency, as well as the quality of the product we handle.”

“I have always dreamed of a world-class food distribution center, and with the addition of the fish market, that dream is coming true,” said Hunts Point Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Josephine Infante. “Visitors come from all over the world to see how we make it work, and now that international awareness will be increased.”

The Bronx and Hunts Point will benefit from this project in many ways. In addition to new jobs and added revenue, the City is upgrading the rail infrastructure at Hunts Point to encourage greater use of rail freight movement to reduce air pollution and truck traffic on the streets. The City also supports direct access into the Hunts Point peninsula from either the Bruckner or the Sheridan Expressways, and is working with State Department of Transportation to accomplish that goal.

EDC is responsible for leasing and development of the Fulton Fish Market as well as the other Hunts Point markets. Cybul & Cybul Architects worked closely with EDC and its construction manager, Turner Construction Company, as well as the fish market wholesalers to develop the best possible design for the new $85 million market.

The City and EDC are involved in a number of other initiatives in Hunts Point to improve the economy and quality of life on the peninsula. The Hunts Point Task Force has been established to help the City create a strategy to improve the quality of the business and residential communities. The mission of the Task Force is to create a land use and transportation vision that sets goals for the next 20 years and to develop an action plan for infrastructure and environmental improvements. In response to community requests, EDC completed a feasibility study for a community market to serve Hunts Point residents. Currently, the City, the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation, and Sustainable South Bronx are working together to implement a plan.

In addition, EDC is sponsoring $2.7 million in state and federal grants to be used to design and construct streetscape improvements and begin a truck route signage program that will enhance the Hunts Point Community, help prevent trucks from entering residential neighborhoods and make the community safer and more pedestrian friendly. EDC is also seeking an additional $15 million in federal money to complete the truck route signage program, and increase lighting and roadway improvements throughout the industrial park.

In keeping with the Mayor’s commitment to improve waterfront access for all residents of New York City, EDC is sponsoring a project, in cooperation with Sustainable South Bronx and The Point, two local community groups, to identify appropriate places for waterfront access and greenway improvements throughout the Hunts Point Peninsula.



Parks: Restoring Puerto Rican Sun Sculpture

…Expert conservators from the Citywide Monuments Conservation Team will begin repainting the mural-like faces of the 24-year-old Puerto Rican Sun sculpture [Fox Street and 156th Street, the Bronx] to reestablish the artist's original design and apply a protective coating to the painted surface sculpture.

…Dedicated on October 16, 1979, the Puerto Rican Sun was commissioned as part of a partnership between the City and local residents to increase and improve neighborhood open space. Created by Puerto Rican-born artist Raphael Ferrer, the Puerto Rican Sun and is an 25-foot-tall archway made of painted Cor-Ten steel depicting palm trees supporting the sun. Nearly 25 years later the sculpture has suffered from extensive weathering and vandalism. Efforts to mask graffiti have further compromised the original expressionistic painted designs.

Consulting with sculpture's Ferrer, the conservation team have stripped off the existing paint, stabilized the corroded surface, and will now begin to accurately repaint the piece.

This restoration marks the 44th conservation completed by the Citywide Monuments Conservation Program since its start in 1997. The program is a public-private initiative under the direction of Parks & Recreations Art and Antiquities division. Funding for this season's program is from the American Express Company, the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, and the National Architectural Trust.



New York City Council Member José M. Serrano and the New York Public Library Announce Live, Online Reference Service for Spanish Speaking Community

Need help with Homework? Need to research a topic? Is Spanish your first language? ¡Información en Vivo! the New York Public Library’s new online reference service for Spanish speakers, may help. On Thursday, March 27th at 4:00pm at the Hunts Point Regional Branch, join José M. Serrano, City Councilmember, Ismáel Alicea, Coordinator, Community Outreach Services; and Margaret Hetley, Branch Librarian, as they introduce this valuable service, available only through the New York Public Library, to the community. The Hunts Point Regional Branch is located at 877 Southern Boulevard, in the Bronx.



“As chair of the City Council Committee on Libraries, I am delighted at the commitment the New York Public Library is making to ensure access to information is had by all,” said Councilmemeber Serrano. “Language will no longer be a barrier to information. Spanish speakers of all ages and backgrounds will benefit from this exciting new service, wherever they live, work, or study”



The latest census figures indicate enormous growth in the population of Hispanic people in America. In the Bronx alone, immigration increased by 33% between 1990 and 1994, over that experienced in the 1980’s with approximately 76,000 new individuals arriving, mostly Latino immigrants from the Caribbean. Today, 47 percent of all Bronx residents are of Latino origin



At the begining of each virtual reference session, patrons will be able to chat live, with a librarian, in Spanish. ¡Información en Vivo!, will provide access to reliable information through electronic resources and reference collections. This unique service, easily accessible from any home, school, or office computer with internet access, will help make the search for information simple and convenient



¡Información en Vivo!, can be accessed at preguntas.nypl.org





Homepage of the Community Gazette for District 17










THE OFFICIAL WORD
FOR DISTRICT 17

MAYOR BLOOMBERG ANNOUNCES SELECTION OF BALDOR AND ANHEUSER-BUSCH TO EXPAND IN HUNTS POINT
(Dec 05, 2005)

Serrano Sends Letter to Bloomberg Opposing Power Plant Proposal
(Aug 16, 2005)

Mayor Breaks Ground on Affordable Housing and Community Park in Hunts Point
(Jul 26, 2005)

Officials Break Ground on Barretto Point Park
(Jul 11, 2005)

Congressman Serrano's Letter to the New York Yankees
(Jun 15, 2005)

MAYOR MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG UNVEILS HUNTS POINT VISION PLAN AT NEW WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT CENTER IN SOUTH BRONX
(Mar 10, 2005)

Councilmember Jose Serrano - $350,000 for running track at St. Mary’s Park and half a dozen other items.
(Jul 02, 2004)

MAYOR UNVEILS PLANS FOR GATEWAY CENTER AT THE BRONX TERMINAL MARKET
(Jun 01, 2004)

Bloomberg: Topping-Out Ceremony for Fulton Fish Market
(Nov 05, 2003)

Parks: Restoring Puerto Rican Sun Sculpture
(Nov 04, 2003)

New York City Council Member José M. Serrano and the New York Public Library Announce Live, Online Reference Service for Spanish Speaking Community
(Apr 29, 2003)

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