Hunts Point Produce Market Selected for $110 Million Federal Grant

Mayor Eric Adams. Photo Credit: facebook.com/NYCMayor

On September 15, 2022, Mayor Eric Adams announced that the Hunts Point Produce Market was selected for a $110 million U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant. This federal funding will be used to upgrade and improve the Produce Market’s facilities, strengthening critical freight movement and improving the environment, public health, and quality of life for the Hunts Point community.

The Hunts Point Produce Market was highlighted in Mayor Adams’ Economic Recovery Blueprint, as well as his “Hunts Point Forward” plan announced earlier this year. The INFRA grant application was prepared by the Economic Development Corporation (EDC), the NYC Department of Transportation, and the Department of Small Business Services (SBS).

The market distributes over 2.5 billion pounds of produce a year to the greater NYC area, employing thousands of New Yorkers and supplying 25 percent of the city’s fresh produce. However, 1,000 diesel-powered refrigerated trailer units are also currently idling onsite, generating emissions that significantly impact the surrounding Hunts Point community.

The market’s new state-of-the-art freight facility will comply with the FDA’s new Food Safety Modernization Act while creating needed refrigerated warehouse space and pallet capacity. The updated produce market will be approximately 1 million-square-feet, with over 800,000 square feet of refrigerated warehouse space and 200,000 square feet of ancillary space. This redevelopment will facilitate increased rail usage and improve the circulation and coordination of inbound and outbound traffic.

Redeveloping the produce market will:

• Keep and grow the market’s 2,000 quality jobs;
• Reduce emissions on city-owned land in Hunts Point, where residents face a disproportionate burden of environmental hazards;
• Protect and strengthen the food supply chain at the local, regional, and national levels;
• Support market business growth and use space more efficiently; and
• Create a global model for 21st-century urban food distribution.

Local elected officials, including Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson and City Council Members Amanda Farias and Rafael Salamanca, voiced their support for the project, as did U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer and Kristen Gillibrand.

Chief Climate Officer Rohit T. Aggarwala noted that “By removing 1,000 diesel-powered refrigerated trailer units currently idling on site, this generous grant will significantly reduce pollution and improve air quality in the South Bronx. Further improvements to truck circulation within the facility and improving access to rail will also result in healthier air for those who live and work in this already overburdened community.”

Deputy Mayor for Economic and Workforce Development Maria Torres-Springer: “The Hunts Point Produce Market plays an essential role in the city and the region’s food supply chain and serves as an economic anchor to the neighborhood. The funding from the USDOT is critical in helping us build a modernized market that supports both our economic development and environmental goals for the Hunts Point community.”

Mayor Adams: “Just two months into my administration, I committed to help kickstart the redevelopment of this critical local and national asset, and, with $110 million, I know this funding will help us take a significant step forward. I am grateful to USDOT and all our partners, in and out of government, for fighting for this funding, for our city’s economic comeback, and for the Hunts Point community.”

By: Cassidy Strong (Cassidy is a CityLaw intern and a New York Law School student, Class of 2024.)

Mayor Adams Announces $110 Million Federal Grant for Hunts Point Terminal Produce Market, September 15, 2022.